Successful Tribunal victory against Ashley Leggat on another hot day and several hours on urgent Comart administration before planning for Director’s holidays as Thatcher's Death Penalty debate looms and threats to 20,000 NHS will follow from Treasury cuts
Today to Cambridge for my first Industrial Tribunal; but first a detailed scan of The Times and Guardian. Both are utterly opposed to the Capital Punishment Debate with powerful articles and editorials. If the vote is carried, James Prior, The Northern Ireland Secretary will surely resign. News also of union warnings about 20,000 jobs in the NHS being due for loss if government cutbacks are carried through.
70 managers also go in a British Airways reorganisation and Norman Tebbitt in disagreements with several unions. Warnings again today of temperatures expected in the 90’s. True to this prediction, the temperature was hot. The tribunal was convened and our solicitor, Mr Short, counselled us prior to the start. The first order of business was the hearing of the preliminary point – that Ashley Leggat had completed 12 months service and could therefore ask the tribunal to hear the case. This failed and, after two hours of consideration and an adjournment of one and a half hours the Chairman returned to declare in Comart’s favour. At each opportunity, a barrister who was representing Mr Leggat’s case suggested a settlement in the order of £700 under threat of civil proceedings and this we refused. So on to Vinters offices after for a celebration coffee and then back to Comart for a few hours in late afternoon. There to deal with some paperwork and take stock of my urgent work priorities that need completing before three of my Directors go on holiday. My biggest tasks are to regularise the Statutory Company Books to reflect the recent changes of name, Directors and shareholdings; to prepare the contract terms and reviews for my most senior Directors; and to prepare for my chairmanship of the Minister’s meeting – All in all, a lot to do!