TOWER HAMLETS BOROUGH COUNCIL WAS WRONG TO STOP TH

TOWER HAMLETS BOROUGH COUNCIL WAS WRONG TO STOP THE PAY OF

COUNCIL OFFICERS TAKING INDUSTRIAL ACTION, A LONDON HIGH COURT JUDGE

RULED TODAY MONDAY.

MR JUSTICE MICHAEL DAVIES ORDERED THE COUNCIL TO PAY OUT OVER
#1,000 TO A UNION MEMBER IN WAGES OWED FROM THE MONTH-LONG DISPUTE.

IT COULD NOT REAP THE BENEFIT OF HIS WORK FOR FREE, HE DECIDED.

AND THE RESULT OF THE TEST CASE MEANS ABOUT 30 OTHER MEMBERS OF
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICERS WILL BE ABLE TO

CLAIM SIMILAR SUMS.

MR MAREK WILUSZYNSKI (CORRECT) OF SPELDHURST ROAD, HOMERTON,

EAST LONDON, WAS AWARDED #1,003.

70 PLUS INTEREST.

HE SAID AFTER THE HEARING THAT HE WAS ‘VERY PLEASED’ AND HAD WON

EVERYTHING HE WANTED.

HE AND ABOUT 2,000 OTHER MEMBERS OF NALGO FLEXED THEIR INDUSTRIAL

MUSCLES IN IN MID-1985 AFTER ALLEGED ‘VICTIMISATION’ OF TWO UNION
OFFICIALS, THE COURT HEARD.

TO GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS THEY REFUSED TO ANSWER INQUIRIES FROM

COUNCILLORS – WHICH TOOK ONLY A FRACTION OF THEIR TIME – BUT CARRIED
OUT THE REST OF THEIR DUTIES.

THEY WERE TOLD THEY WOULD NOT BE PAID IF THEY DID NOT WORK
‘NORMALLY’ BUT STILL TURNED UP FOR WORK.

WHEN THE MONTH-LONG DISPUTE WAS SETTLED IN SEPTEMBER 1985 32
ESTATE OFFICERS FOUND THEY WOULD NOT BE PAID FOR THAT TIME.

MR
WILUSZYNSKI SUED THE COUNCIL.

THE JUDGE SAID EMPLOYEES HAD A FUNDAMENTAL DUTY TO COMPLY WITH
EMPLOYERS’ INSTRUCTIONS.

BUT THE COUNCIL TOOK NO ACTION TO KEEP THE OFFICERS OFF THEIR
PREMISES OR STOP THEM WORKING.

‘THE COUNCIL TOOK THE BENEFIT OF THAT

WORK,’ HE SAID.

‘WHAT IS CLEAR ON THE FACTS OF THIS CASE IS THAT THE COUNCIL WAS
NOT ENTITLED TO WITHHOLD THE WHOLE OF THE PLAINTIFF’S PAY FOR THE
RELEVANT PERIOD.

‘
THE COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING AN APPEAL.

ENDS