Job axe firm must pay up

Sep 12 2006 By Peter Swingler

A SOLIHULL man has been awarded more than £10,000 after being unfairly sacked as a courtesy car driver.

Roy Whitehouse, of Clifton Crescent, had been employed by Midland Accident Repair Centre Ltd, at Wednesbury, for four years, a Birmingham employment tribunal was told.

Mr Whitehouse, claiming compensation for unfair dismissal, said he had been told by the firm there was a shortage of work and he would have to go.

"I was the only employee among 15 to lose my job and I believe it was unfair," he told the tribunal.

"The management also failed to carry out the correct disciplinary and dismissal procedure."

Mr Whitehouse, who will be 65 next year, said he had since been unable to find another suitable job and had been on Jobseekers' Allowance.

The firm did not attend the hearing and had failed to respond in the appropriate manner to Mr Whitehouse's claim, it was said.

Tribunal chairman Nigel Beard said the tribunal's unanimous decision was that Mr Whitehouse had been unfairly dismissed.

He said the firm had also failed to carry out the correct disciplinary and dismissal procedure in accordance with the Employment Act.

The award amount will be increased by 30 per cent as a result, making the total £10,809.

Mr Beard said the tribunal had taken into consideration the amount of money Mr Whitehouse would lose through loss of work until he reached retirement age.