17th November 2008, 05:40 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by ellie163 This system has amounted to c. 30 basic digger field staff being laid off and a handful of assistants and supervisors. Is this similar to what is going on elsewhere?
Hi Ellie,
I don't know the unit you work for, but the situation you are describing sounds extremely dodgy. As Peter Wardle pointed out in an earlier mail, if 20 or more people are laid off (irrespective of whether they are entitled to redundancy money) they are entitled to a 30 day consultation period. If the unit has not undertaken the consultation they are in breach of the Employment Act. All of the people laid off are entitled to be paid for the consultation period even if their contracts expire before the end of the period. You have to get union advice here otherwise you are being robbed. (Whats more the DSS could refuse to pay benefits for a period when an employer is supposed to be paying wages).