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GlosREC News |
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21st October 2011 |
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Chief
Executive Officer GlosREC GL1
1HG Tel:
01452 301290 Fax: 01452 412876 Email: enquiries@glosrec.org.uk |
Roy Morgan v Halls of Gloucester I thought I’d let you know at once that Roy has won his
case in the Employment Appeal Tribunal against Halls of Gloucester. Roy was employed as a delivery driver by Halls of
Gloucester, the fruit and veg wholesalers but over the years he worked there
was subjected to constant racist abuse and discrimination until he could take
it no more and left. He claimed constructive dismissal. At first he went to a
law firm in Sheffield which he found on the internet but they let him down by
trying to settle the case without first seeking his consent as client. He
came to us and we referred him to the Gloucester Law Centre as he was an
employment discrimination case which they are funded to handle. They sent him
away and said he had no case so he returned to us for help. We represented him throughout the preparatory stages of his
employment tribunal case by taking all the preliminary hearings and preparing
his witness statements and bundle of documents for the court – although he
conducted the actual court hearing himself. He won 75% of his case and
the Judge found that he had been racially harassed at work and awarded
compensation. Somewhat perversely, the judge ruled however, that he had not
been constructively dismissed because of racial discrimination which seemed
to him and to us highly illogical and we encouraged him to appeal to
the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London. We helped him to find a solicitor
in London and counsel and worked with the solicitor on the preparation of the
case. Today, the High Court found in his favour and the case has
been sent back to the employment tribunal in Bristol with directions as to
how they should deal with the issues of discrimination. This case is particularly important to us because it was
Roy who was our ‘ guinea pig’ in the Judicial Review brought at our
instigation against Gloucestershire County Council over the issue of our
eviction from 15 Brunswick Road and the termination of our grant. It is
indeed gratifying that he has had two victories in major issues in one week –
and so has GlosREC. Roy was met by reporters on the steps of the Court (not
prompted by GlosREC, I hasten to add!) and the case may be reported in the
Daily Mail tomorrow – and possibly in ’ The Citizen’ which is also Northcliffe Press. Yours sincerely Alexandra MacRae GlosREC |