Group sacking case begins

Staff say they did not receive severance payments

A group of sacked computer workers from Edinburgh have begun one of Scotland's biggest group claims for compensation.

One hundred and sixty former Telesens staff are claiming £8m from the company, alleging unfair dismissal and sex discrimination.

They say they were sacked without warning and received no redundancy payments from the technology company.

The Employment Tribunal hearing the claim is likely to issue a ruling early next year.

Speaking before the tribunal began in Glasgow, lawyer David Royden said: "It's one of the largest ever class actions brought in Scotland.

We're hoping that if we can win this case that it will force changes in the law Mike Cicero Action Chairman

"It demonstrates a willingness by people to stick together and bring a class action and not be walked all over by companies that are prepared to take all the best bits and then not honour their obligations to the staff they made redundant."

Mike Cicero, action chairman for the sacked workers, said they believed employment laws should be strengthened.

He said: "They need to be tightened up in such a way that they're either enforced or that employers think twice before doing a similar thing to other people.

"We're hoping that if we can win this case that it will force changes in the law."

Some of the former Telesens workers have moved abroad in their search for employment.