Union member wins age discrimination case

A worker has won not just his case for age discrimination but also national headlines for the issue it highlighted.

David Robson, who is 69 years old, worked for Clarke’s Mechanicals Limited on the Isle of Wight as a plumber and gas fitter. He is a GMB member.

In 2020 he was sacked without warning or consultation. With the union’s help he took the case to an employment tribunal, which heard how for years he had been given the nickname “half-dead Dave” because of his age.

He has now won his claim of age discrimination and unfair dismissal, following a hearing which finished by awarding him £24,926 in compensation. This included £13,000 for injury to feelings.

Mr Robson commented: “I was obviously very disappointed to have been dismissed after working at Clarkes for years. It was wrong of the company to get rid of me because of my age and I’m glad I was able to seek justice.”

Adrian Baker, GMB regional organiser, explained: “This is a shocking case where the employer failed to comply with basic employment law standards, even giving him a cruel nickname.

“No procedure was followed and he was discriminated against because of his age. To make matters worse, after dismissing him, the company then advertised jobs which Mr Robson was qualified to do.

“UK employment law is there for us all to respect,” he concluded.

https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/worker-branded-%E2%80%98half-dead-dave%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98cruel%E2%80%99-bosses-wins-%C2%A325000