AN industrial tribunal which could cost Middlesbrough Council more than £1m in compensation was opened yesterday.
One hundred and fifty workers are claiming unfair dismissal by the authority, and five lead cases will appear before the tribunal this week. The tribunal's decision will apply to all 150 workers.
Four of the men, John Chadwick, Harry Alderton, Kenneth Bland and Christopher Nestor, are represented by the Transport and General Workers' Union, and one, Edwin Purves, by the engineering union, AEEU.
More than 300 workers were issued with compulsory redundancy notices in July 1998, but only 150 were eventually dismissed when the council axed its economic and transport department.
The workers claim the process of selection was unfair.
The tribunal resumes today.
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