Contract workers rights

moonpenny

Can someone help with this please?


My son has been working for a local Authority as an Electrician. He gets paid through an "Umbrella" company.


Couple of days ago he was finished for what they are calling "gross misconduct" but he hasn't done anything wrong.


Long story short - He was working on an interior roof putting cables in. There was a false wooden roof (tiles) covering an asbestos ceiling. He had to remove the wooden tile for the cables (no other way of doing it) but here is the rub, 2 of his bosses were there at the time so he played safe and asked them if he should remove it and they both told him to go ahead. At no time was he in contact with the asbestos or even go near it.


Anyway, all hell has broken loose and he had to go into work to make a statement. Apparently, there has been an asbestos inspection (2yearly) and some dust has been found on a tray an a piece of the ceiling missing. They haven't even tested the dust to determine if it is asbestos


Now, my son did this job more than 6 weeks ago and other trades have been in and out and no mention of anything until now.


They wouldn't let him make a statement and one of the bosses has denied he said to go ahead with the job and the other has backed him all the way and fought for him to keep his job.
He is really experienced and well respected by everyone he works with and for.


He got sacked the following day. All the tradesmen are up in arms about it because they all would have done the same had it been their job. He has been found guilty without a trial in effect and wasn't even allowed to write a statement.


This is really going to jeapardise him getting another job.


Do Contract workers have any rights at all? and is there anything he can do to clear his good name?

anamenottaken

moonpenny wrote: »

Can someone help with this please?


My son has been working for a local Authority as an Electrician. He gets paid through an "Umbrella" company.


Couple of days ago he was finished for what they are calling "gross misconduct" but he hasn't done anything wrong.


Long story short - He was working on an interior roof putting cables in. There was a false wooden roof (tiles) covering an asbestos ceiling. He had to remove the wooden tile for the cables (no other way of doing it) but here is the rub, 2 of his bosses were there at the time so he played safe and asked them if he should remove it and they both told him to go ahead. At no time was he in contact with the asbestos or even go near it.


Anyway, all hell has broken loose and he had to go into work to make a statement. Apparently, there has been an asbestos inspection (2yearly) and some dust has been found on a tray an a piece of the ceiling missing. They haven't even tested the dust to determine if it is asbestos


Now, my son did this job more than 6 weeks ago and other trades have been in and out and no mention of anything until now.


They wouldn't let him make a statement and one of the bosses has denied he said to go ahead with the job and the other has backed him all the way and fought for him to keep his job.
He is really experienced and well respected by everyone he works with and for.


He got sacked the following day. All the tradesmen are up in arms about it because they all would have done the same had it been their job. He has been found guilty without a trial in effect and wasn't even allowed to write a statement.


This is really going to jeapardise him getting another job.


Do Contract workers have any rights at all? and is there anything he can do to clear his good name?

Being paid by the Umbrella means he is not employed by the LA. They can decide to terminate their use of his services> He doesn't have employment rights with them so there is no requirement for them to go through a full investigation process.