Employers can no longer mistreat staff who take part in industrial action, says UNISON

Employers will no longer be able to get away with mistreating any employees who take part in union-organised workplace disputes following an important legal decision today (Wednesday), says UNISON. UK law had previously prevented employers from sacking staff involved in strike action or other workplace disputes, but not from disciplining or making life difficult for them, says UNISON. But now, disciplinary action against workers who go on strike will be unlawful. This follows today’s judgment at the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) over a case taken by care worker Fiona Mercer against the Alternative Futures Group (AFG). She had been involved in organising, and subsequently took part in, a long-running dispute over AFG’s plans to cut payment for sleep-in shifts undertaken by its care staff. Fiona was disciplined, suspended, and prevented from going into work by her employer. AFG’s heavy-handed tactics meant she and many of her care worker colleagues were put off from taking part in the strike action, says UNISON. UNISON and Fiona had originally taken North-West based charity AFG to an employment tribunal in Manchester in May 2020. There the union argued that Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights – incorporated into UK law in the 1998 Human Rights Act – protects workers involved in legal disputes against their employer. UNISON said this meant they should not be disciplined or treated unfairly in some other way, because they had taken part in industria...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: News Press release AFG Fiona Mercer Source Type: news