Threatened waiters compensated

The restaurant has since been taken over by new management

Eleven waiters who claimed their lives were threatened at an award winning Indian restaurant in Birmingham have been awarded compensation.

An industrial tribunal in the city was told a gang, led by Sikh chef Rashpal Sunner, threatened the men with bottles and insisted all Bengali staff should leave even though some of them had worked at for six years.

The tribunal heard the threats had occurred more than three years ago and the restaurant, Shimla Pinks, had since undergone a change of management.

On Tuesday, tribunal chairman Colin Goodyear agreed all 11 men had been put in fear of serious injury if they turned up for work.

'Financially ruined'

He said at the very least, the restaurant should have suspended its chef while an investigation was carried out.

The tribunal ruled the men had been constructively dismissed and they were awarded a total of £16,000 compensation between them.

Abdul Hoque and co-workers were threatened with bottles

The figure would have been higher but the restaurant went into administration shortly after the men left.

One of the workers involved, Abdul Hoque, said it had been an "extremely difficult" time for him and his co-workers.

"Some of my colleagues have lost their homes due to unemployment.

"Some have been financially ruined. Not just financially but family-wise as well."

Eric McDonald, regional organiser of the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G), welcomed the tribunal decision but criticised the low amount of compensation.

"Justice has been done on the basis of getting a proper decision that their dismissal was unfair," he said.

"But unfortunately the company went into liquidation and the level of compensation they can expect is nowhere near the correct amount."