6:40am Friday 23rd July 2010
FORMER county council care workers based at homes across Essex have won a near £1million settlement after claiming they were unlawfully dismissed.
Unions Unison and GMB reached the agreement with Excelcare for 115 of its members halfway through a two-week tribunal hearing at Bury St Edmunds.
Payouts, approved by the tribunal judge, range from around £1,000 to more than £30,000 and total £983,000.
The former Essex County Council workers claimed they were dismissed in 2006 for not accepting pay cuts of up to 40 per cent and other changes to their working conditions, after Excelcare took control of ten care homes in the county.
While most refused to accept the new contracts, some did and were also entitled to compensation as a result of the agreement.
The care workers were based in homes in Benfleet, Colchester, Dovercourt, Brentwood, Maldon and Chelmsford, which were transferred in 2005.
At the tribunal, Excelcare claimed after the transfer it realised the running costs were higher than Essex County Council had told it, which meant it had to impose new contracts or the homes would have to close.
Anne Vinden, regional head of local government at Unison, praised the dedication of the workers, solicitors and regional officer Michelle Bradley for seeing the lengthy case through to its conclusion.
She said: “We’re absolutely delighted we have managed to get this compensation for members.
“I feel very pleased on behalf of this group, because they are low-paid members who work incredibly hard and do an absolutely vital job for society.
“I think they deserve to be treated legally and properly and this is what we have achieved.”
Michael Ainsley, from GMB, said: “Although GMB is pleased the case is settled we will continue to monitor Excelcare wherever they turn up next to ensure they can never do the same to more care workers.
“If these 30 GMB members had not been trade union members with the power and funding of the GMB behind them they would not have got justice.”
Nobody from Essex County Council was available to comment.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.echo-news.co.uk