A UNION has secured more than £1 million in compensation for workers who were made redundant at a paper mill based in Aberdeen.
On Thursday, Unite the union announced the employment tribunal handed down favourable judgements covering the protective award claims made on behalf of all former Stoneywood paper mill workers based in Aberdeen.
Unite Scotland is the country's biggest trade union, representing a range of sectors and with around 150,000 members, and is led by Derek Thomson.
The union supported around 300 claims against Arjowiggins Scotland Ltd – the company which owned the paper mill – over its failure to enact a 45-day consultation period for workers in a redundancy situation.
The judgment covers all manual workers dismissed on September 22, 2022, and in the 90-day period thereafter.
The union understands that the average compensation award per worker is likely to be in the region of £4000, which means the total award will amount to around £1.2 million.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham hailed the union’s success, adding that when employers fail to obey the law, “Unite will hold them to account”.
Graham (below) said: “It’s terrible news when any company goes into administration and workers lose their jobs.
“However, when a company like Arjowiggins fails to obey the law, then Unite will hold them to account.
“We are pleased to finally secure some justice and financial compensation for the Stoneywood paper mill workers.”
A protective award can be awarded when 20 or more employees are made redundant because an employer did not complete a consultation before any redundancy announcement.
Employment tribunals can make various awards of up to 90 days' full pay.
