Action over alleged blacklisting

A union is to take legal action against courier firm Addison Lee for alleged union victimisation and blacklisting, after a bicycle courier member was sacked on his first day in the job.


The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is taking the action on behalf of Andrew Boxer, who had earlier won an employment rights case against another courier company, Excel, now part of CitySprint.


An Addison Lee manager was secretly filmed sacking Boxer, suggesting that he may have an “ulterior motive” for working at the company. The manager asked: “Do you want to report back to the union?” 


The manager also referred to a tribunal case against the company, won last year by another IWGB member, Chris Gascoigne, which determined that he was a worker rather than an independent contractor. 


The company is appealing that decision, although the film catches the manager admitting to Boxer that “your union is going to win”.


Boxer was sacked on the day he started, having already been given a radio, a call-in sign and logins for the company’s courier app.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/06/addison-lee-accused-blacklisting-andrew-boxer-employment-tribunal-excel