Former workers at Woolworths and Ethel Austin have lost their European Court claim for compensation after a protracted legal battle. It means that 4,400 ex-employees of the high street chains, which collapsed in 2008 and 2010 respectively, will not get any money. The European Court of Justice ruled they were based in stores employing fewer than 20 staff, whereas colleagues in larger sites qualified for compensation. please log in to view this image High street retailer: Woolworths collapsed in 2008 Shopworkers’ union Usdaw said workers were ‘heartbroken’ by the ruling. Under UK law, staff in smaller stores are excluded from an obligation to consult on redundancies and do not qualify for compensation. Usdaw general secretary John Hannett said: ‘This decision marks the end of the road for our members from Woolworths and Ethel Austin seeking justice and they are heartbroken by today’s verdict. Our case is morally and logically robust, so [the] verdict is a kick in the teeth.’ The union won a legal case at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in 2013, but the Government appealed and the Court of Appeal last year referred the case to the ECJ. It just beggars belief.I am truly gutted for those employees.
It screams discrimination to me, how the courts have allowed this beggars belief. I can't help but feel it was politicians (elected and unelected) who made this decision and not the judges as a change in the law would mean companies, shareholders and administrators would not keep their billions if finances went tits up.
