§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the failure of Airfix Limited to give its 900 employees at the Meccano factory Liverpool, the statutory 90 days' notice of redundancy.
§ Mr. Jim LesterOn 3 December 1979 my Department was notified of the total closure of Meccano and the resulting redundancy of 931 employees on Friday 30 November. This appears to be a breach of the notification requirement 207W under section 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975, and my Department is seeking an urgent explanation from the company.
I understand that consultations with the recognised trade unions were inconclusive. If the employer failed to comply with the requirement to consult the unions under section 99 of the Act, it is for the unions concerned to complain to an industrial tribunal under section 101 of the Act.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what will be the cost of redundancy payments for the 900 employees at Meccano, Liverpool.
§ Mr. Jim LesterMy Department has been advised by the employer that payments are likely to total approximately £600,000.