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Employees given compensation after failure to consult on redundancy
‘Protective award’ for ex-Canute staff By Chris Tindall
The United Road Transport Union (URTU) has won what it terms a ‘protective award’ for staff made redundant when Almtone-owned Canute Group ceased trading in 2018. Following an employment tribunal hearing last month, the union said it had been successful before a judge in showing that Almtone had failed to consult former employees at its sites in Coventry, Retford, Lancaster and Newport about their looming redundancy. It added that URTU members had been made redundant between December 2018 and January 2019. Brian Hart, URTU national officer, praised its legal team,
saying: “They had to overcome several difficult legal hurdles during a long-standing and protracted legal process in order to bring this matter before an employment judge.” ■ Redditch-based S Walker Transport, which entered
administration a year ago putting 39 employees out of work, has enough funds to pay them all the money they are owed, the firm’s administrators have confirmed. The company’s unsecured trade creditors should also receive a dividend.
Meachers buys AFS Haulage to boost international work Meachers Global Logistics has acquired fellow Hampshire operator AFS Haulage in a move it believes will boost its international transport services. The deal was given the green light by AFS Haulage’s MD, Andy Seagrave (pictured, right), who said: “I’ve been searching for a
long time to find someone to take over and look after the business and Meachers is the perfect fit. “We are both solid companies with similar cultures and I have every confidence that the Meachers team will handle the haulage requirements of our customers expertly as it is incorporated into its main business.” AFS employees will join the Meachers team and over time it is anticipated that the AFS brand will come under the Meachers banner. Meachers MD Stuart Terris (pictured, left, with chairman
Bob Terris) said: “This allows us to expand our international freight and transport logistics services to offer customers even more industry knowledge and expertise when providing solutions for freight forwarding, supply chain management, UK warehousing, distribution, training, transport and contract management. “Not only will the AFS Haulage acquisition enhance our quality service, with more equipment such as flatbed, HIAB and groupage, it will also allow us to stay ahead of market demands, particularly after the pandemic.”
HGV driver jailed after M40 crash fatality An HGV driver has been jailed for three and a half years after causing the death of an RAF helicopter pilot who had parked up on the M40 to help out following a collision. Malcolm Clarkson pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after he drove into the back of Scott McConnell’s car between junctions 12 and 13 on 19 November 2019. McConnell had stopped to assist after two other vehicles were involved in a collision. Warwick Crown Court heard that McConnell, who was 26 and had just qualified as an RAF pilot, was on the phone to Warwickshire police when his car was struck by Clarkson’s Scania at 61mph. A forensic collision investigation report concluded that Clarkson had been talking on a hands-free kit moments before the collision and he braked just 24m, or one second, prior to impact. Police staff investigator Liam Ryan said: “This is a particularly tragic case as Scott was trying to protect another driver when he was killed. There is no doubt that being on the phone hands-free moments before the collision distracted Clarkson to the extent that he was unable to react to the road ahead.” Clarkson was also banned from driving for six years and nine months and must take an extended retest.
Carlton Forest branches into Yorkshire after bolstering its storage capacity A 3PL provider working with major blue-chip businesses has secured two new sites in just three months. Carlton Forest 3PL, a privately owned company based in Worksop, north Nottinghamshire, has branched into south Yorkshire, acquiring two units near Bawtry – one of 95,000sq ft and one of 122,000sq ft. 22.3.21
This has taken its overall capacity to over 800,000sq ft of racked and bulk storage. MD Adam Jones (pictured right with divisional operations manager Alistair Plant) commented: “These additional sites have allowed us to work with even more customers’ 3PL, storage and supply chain requirements across product
sectors including furniture, retail, household, and ambient food and drink.” It is anticipated that further acquisitions will be made in the next few months. Already, 25 long-term and 50 short-term jobs in the area have been created as a result of the investment. MotorTransport 3
