A council which refused to follow an employment tribunal’s orders has finally paid compensation to its former employee after pressure from the UK’s largest public sector union UNISON.
UNISON member Paul Whittaker, from Skelton, has been waiting for over a year for Redcar and Cleveland Council to pay him the substantial five figure sum in compensation.
The damages were ordered by Newcastle Employment tribunal after the council refused to re-instate Mr Whittaker following a ruling that he was unfairly dismissed.
The council had planned to appeal the tribunal’s order but settled before the hearing.
Mr Whittaker, a decorated war hero who served 24 years in the Royal Navy was dismissed by Redcar and Cleveland Council in 2005 following an incident in Eston.
Following the incident he contacted his union, UNISON, who instructed Thompsons Solicitors to represent the case.
The employment tribunal ruled in August 2006 that the allegations were unfounded and Mr Whittaker had been unfairly dismissed. A later hearing ordered he should be re-instated by the council.
The council refused to give Mr Whittaker his job back and in October 2007 the Tribunal ruled the council pay Mr Whittaker 52 weeks’ wages in compensation for their failure to re-instate him.
The council planned to appeal the ruling during a hearing listed this month but it has agreed to settle and pay Mr Whittaker his compensation.
Mr Whittaker, who is now self employed said: “I am pleased I will now be able to draw a line under all of this. I feel vindicated that at last the council has paid compensation to me for what it put me and my family through over the last three years.
“Clearing my name was my only concern and I hope we can now put this behind us.”
UNISON regional officer Mike Hill added: “I am pleased Redcar and Cleveland Council have finally seen sense and have settled this matter. They have done a great injustice to Mr Whittaker. They have rubbed salt into the wounds by refusing to re-instate him and then have added insult to injury by taking over a year to pay the remedies ordered by the employment tribunal.”
Ranjit O’Mahony from Thompsons Solicitors added: “We are pleased that Mr Whittaker’s name has now been cleared and that he has finally been compensated.
“This case highlights the importance of employers following the employment tribunal’s decisions. The council has paid almost double the original remedies because they refused to follow the tribunal’s orders.”
This news story was also published by Gazette Live.