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Sacked driver slams union
Page 14
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A FORMER Gist truck driver who won £3,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal has blasted the Transport & General Workers' Union for withdrawing its support before his employment tribunal appeal (CM 25 November).
Ralph Hedley claims he was badly advised and says he feels let down by the union which declined to pursue his claim, forcing him to go it alone. He believes a lack of T&G interest in his case contributed to his losing his original company appeal. After this, he says: "I was advised to plead guilty to the accident and was told that I would never win my tribunal, "Following this I wanted to prove my innocence, and after speaking to a friend, the welfare rights officer and a fellow driver, we decided to fight Gist and prove them wrong. The case proved the company was wrong."
Last week Hedley was awarded £3,222 by a Carlisle employment tribunal after it ruled that he was sacked unfairly following an accident on the M6 because Gist had failed to investigate allegations that he was forced to drive while suffering from flu.
A spokesman for the T&G says that it represented Hedley at his two company appeals but after failing to get its decisions overturned its legal team felt that it was unlikely that the tribunal would uphold his claim.
"A member can still pursue his case against our advice," he adds. "On this occasion Mr Hedley did and won. Good luck to him."