A Unite member from Chorley has secured more than £5,000 in compensation in a fair pay claim.

Frank Curphey, 65, was made redundant from the manufacturing company, Astralux Ltd, after it went into liquidation due to financial difficulties.

He began working at the firm in 2007, first on a full-time contract, before reducing to a three-day week in 2009. Frank was made redundant two years later.

Frank’s employer was refusing to pay him what was owed, so he turned to Unite Legal Services and Thompsons Solicitors to help him with a compensation claim. The legal specialists contacted the Government’s Insolvency Service, which makes redundancy payments when a company is insolvent.

The Unite member continued: “If it wasn’t for my union or Thompsons Solicitors being so keen to get me what I was owed, I would be out of pocket by thousands of pounds. They acted swiftly as we were close to reaching the Government’s six month deadline. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without their expert help.”

“It’s cases like Frank’s that demonstrate why people should join a union. Thanks to his Unite membership, Frank didn’t have to worry about any legal costs. "

Ritchie James North West regional secretary at Unite the Union

Despite previously working a ‘short time’ contract, Thompsons Solicitors recovered Frank’s losses based on a full time five-working day week.

Ritchie James, North West regional secretary at Unite the Union, said: “It’s cases like Frank’s that demonstrate why people should join a union. We fight for our members’ rights and will take it as far as we can to get the outcome our members deserve. Thanks to his Unite membership, Frank didn’t have to worry about any legal costs as they were all covered and he gets to enjoy his retirement stress-free, keeping 100 per cent of the money we helped recover.”

Frank adds: “I felt comfortable asking as many questions as I could think of and Thompsons explained every step of the process in plain English. My union and solicitors were brilliant. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have seen a penny of what I was owed.”