18th November 2008, 01:09 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by Noddy
Ellie are these c.30 staff the same staff that downed tools a couple of months ago? As Kevin says it sounds like there has been a breach in the Employment Act, although does it cover staff on temporary contracts?
Noddy asks whether the right to a consultation period applies to staff on temporary contracts. And the answer is most definetly.
The union representing Museum of London staff won a £500,000 protective award case in 1991 against the museum who dismissed 240+ short and open end contract staff without giving the required 90 days notice. The award covered the amount of wages that each individual would have received for that 90 day period.
Any employer who proposes to lay off 20 or more staff over a short period of time (it doesn't necessarily have to be all at the same time) is required to undertake 30 days consultation before the first lay off, even if those people are on fixed term contracts. I can't see any case of an archaeological employer where this should cause a problem. Surely any employer ought to be able to plan 30 days in advance......shouldn't they?