'British Energy' to fight tribunal decision

A FOMER staff member's legal battle with British Energy could benefit around 200 contractors at the company's headquarters at Barnwood.

Mum Sarah Lucas, from Gloucester, took the nuclear power company to court, claiming unfair dismissal and equal pay.

British Energy had claimed that, as a contractor, Mrs Lucas was not entitled to the same rights as contracted employees.

However, the Bristol tribunal ruled that, after six years working at Barnwood, the working relationship between Mrs Lucas and British Energy had in fact "become a relationship of employer and employee".

Now Mrs Lucas' solicitors, Cheltenham-based Willans LLP, believes the ruling could affect many other staff at the site.

There are an estimated 200 other contractors at the Barnwood centre, who might now be entitled to employment rights and benefits such as holiday, sick pay and maternity benefits.

William Morse, employment law partner at Willans, said: "This is a very significant judgment, not only for my client, but also potentially for a great many other workers labelled as contractors.

"It is possible that a number of workers at the British Energy sites may be entitled to the same recognition of their employment status and statutory entitlements."

Mrs Lucas worked as an administrator for the company, which employs an estimated 1,700 staff at Barnwood alone, for more than six years until June 2009. The judgment was delivered at a Bristol tribunal on July 12 this year.

A spokesman for British Energy, which became part of EDF in 2009, said: "We are disappointed with the decision of the tribunal hearing. We believe we have good grounds for, and will be lodging, an appeal."

British Energy and Morson Human Resources Limited, a British Energy service provider, claimed Mrs Lucas was not an employee of British Energy but merely provided work for them as an independent contractor.