Sacked workers' fight goes on

The Tameside careworkers, who were sacked in a dispute on pay and conditions, had good news recently when an Employment Tribunal ruled that their cases for unfair dismissal could be heard. The employers, Tameside Care Group, argued that the workers could not claim unfair dismissal as they were on strike when they were sacked.

The Tribunal ruled that the sackings took place on 30th January 1998, the date when the employers issued 90 day notices terminating existing contracts and "offering" new contracts on worse pay and conditions. The 90 day notices used by the employers in an attempt to cut pay and holidays and abolish sick pay pushed a long-suffering workforce into dispute. UNISON balloted the workforce and an official strike started on 30th March 1998.

The notices terminating existing contracts came into force in May - sacking all the strikers. Tameside Care Group was formed to take over the running of Tameside's privatised care homes. Eleven residential homes and one nursing home were privatised in 1990. The careworker's pay and conditions have been under attack ever since. Tameside's Labour Council has a major shareholding and local Labour MP Andrew Bennett is a trustee. As yet the company has refused to budge from its intransigent position. The unfair dismissal claims are due to be heard at the Employment Tribunal in the spring.

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