Monday, January 07, 2008
A sacked park worker has been awarded a £550,000 record payout after a Tribunal ruled he was the victim of disability discrimination when selected for redundancy by his employer. The payout is thought to be a record in a disability discrimination case.
Croydon Tribunal found that the man, aged 34 years, and suffering with learning difficulties, was unfairly sacked from his job by Lambeth Serviceteam,.
The compensation covers loss of earnings until retirement.
GMB brought employment tribunal claims for unfair dismissal for a total of 24 claimants, who were all gardeners and maintained parks throughout the London Borough of Lambeth. Total compensation awarded was over £1.3m.
The Tribunal heard that the system the employer had used for selecting personnel for redundancy was weighted against disabled workers because it focused on the numbers of days of absence, and also whether staff drove a car or not.
Richard Ascough, GMB regional secretary, said: "GMB is delighted at this substantial victory for our members”.