Oswestry employee of collapsed building firm wins case for unfair dismissal

A former employee of a collapsed Telford modular building firm has been awarded more than £60,000 for unfair dismissal.

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Elements Europe Ltd based in Telford collapsed into administration in June last year after more than 20 years in business.

The firm, based in Hadley Castle Works, employed around 210 people and made modular room and bathroom pods.

It had suffered trading losses totalling £80.6 million over three years and called in Interpath administrators Sam Birchall and Steve Absolom.

Now in a further blow, a former Oswestry employee from the firm has been awarded £63,540.99 for unfair dismissal.

At an employment tribunal held in Birmingham on October 13 before employment Judge Tom Coghlin KC, heard that Mr Frantisek Reis of Oswestry was unfairly dismissed from the firm on November 4, 2024.

The tribunal was told that Mr Reis had worked at the Telford firm since 2004 and had claimed unfair dismissal based on the grounds of “disability discrimination”

In his judgement published this month, Judge Coghlin said the claimant’s complaint of unfair dismissal was “well-founded” and awarded him more than £65,000 in compensation.

He said the award included a basic award for unfair dismissal of £14,807, as well as compensation for disability discrimination (£13,337), injury to feelings (£20,000) and personal injury (£10,000), as well as interest.