Victory for the pickets
Brian Lashley
ELECTRICIANS who staged one of the country's longest-running industrial disputes - and won celebrity backing - were unfairly sacked, a tribunal decided.
The "massive win" marked the end of a protest which followed claims that unskilled workers were hired on the cheap to carry out electrical work on the £25m One Piccadilly Gardens development.
A Manchester employment tribunal found four of the men - members of the Transport and General Workers Union - had been sacked for their trade union activities.
It ruled that they are entitled to compensation "over and above an ordinary unfair dismissal award". Electrical sub contractors DAF fired the men while they were working on the Piccadilly site.
The firm has about four weeks to appeal against the decision.
The sacked men set up a picket line outside the site to highlight their case.
They later moved it to the £30m court building in Spinningfields, where the same company was carrying out the electrical work.
In total, the protest lasted just over a year and they gathered 40,000 signatures on a petition.
It was signed by Manchester United director Sir Bobby Charlton, Coronation Street actors Johnny Briggs (Mike Baldwin), Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster) and Happy Mondays star Bez.
Fantastic
Steve Acheson, from Denton, who led the protest said: "This is a great victory not just for us, but for all those who supported us as well.
"You can't overstate the enormity of the victory and what it means.
"The Manchester public who donated to our campaign and signed our petition were fantastic.
"At times, with the weather and the hardship, it was very tough. But this was a principled stand and we were determined to see it through."
Seven other electricians sacked at the same time lost their cases for unfair dismissal. They are considering an appeal against the decision.
Mr Acheson said: "Our delight is mixed with sadness for our colleagues who did not win their cases. We are hoping they will appeal and justice will be done."
DAF electrical boss Dave Fahey was unavailable for comment. An employee at the firm said he was on holiday
John Rowse, TGWU national secretary for manufacturing, said: "This is an excellent result for the lads in Manchester. They deserve recognition for their determination to fight for their rights."
Brian Lashley
ELECTRICIANS who staged one of the country's longest-running industrial disputes - and won celebrity backing - were unfairly sacked, a tribunal decided.
The "massive win" marked the end of a protest which followed claims that unskilled workers were hired on the cheap to carry out electrical work on the £25m One Piccadilly Gardens development.
A Manchester employment tribunal found four of the men - members of the Transport and General Workers Union - had been sacked for their trade union activities.
It ruled that they are entitled to compensation "over and above an ordinary unfair dismissal award". Electrical sub contractors DAF fired the men while they were working on the Piccadilly site.
The firm has about four weeks to appeal against the decision.
The sacked men set up a picket line outside the site to highlight their case.
They later moved it to the £30m court building in Spinningfields, where the same company was carrying out the electrical work.
In total, the protest lasted just over a year and they gathered 40,000 signatures on a petition.
It was signed by Manchester United director Sir Bobby Charlton, Coronation Street actors Johnny Briggs (Mike Baldwin), Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster) and Happy Mondays star Bez.
Fantastic
Steve Acheson, from Denton, who led the protest said: "This is a great victory not just for us, but for all those who supported us as well.
"You can't overstate the enormity of the victory and what it means.
"The Manchester public who donated to our campaign and signed our petition were fantastic.
"At times, with the weather and the hardship, it was very tough. But this was a principled stand and we were determined to see it through."
Seven other electricians sacked at the same time lost their cases for unfair dismissal. They are considering an appeal against the decision.
Mr Acheson said: "Our delight is mixed with sadness for our colleagues who did not win their cases. We are hoping they will appeal and justice will be done."
DAF electrical boss Dave Fahey was unavailable for comment. An employee at the firm said he was on holiday
John Rowse, TGWU national secretary for manufacturing, said: "This is an excellent result for the lads in Manchester. They deserve recognition for their determination to fight for their rights."