Employment issues relating to the NOTW

Employment issues relating to the NOTW:

Comment:

“East London Employment Tribunal (close to Wapping), and many City law firms, may see potential litigants queuing round the corner if the hundreds of journalists from the News of the World decide to sue. Whistleblowing claims may be the order of the day as there is no financial cap on compensation and no minimum period of service requirement for such claims.

News International may take a commercial view and attempt to settle employment related claims; especially when they recall the bullying and discrimination claims brought by Matt Driscoll in East London Employment Tribunal. With my cynical hat on I suspect that bespoke compromise agreements are being churned out in Wapping at this very moment.

In view of the many tentacles of News Corporation, of which News International is a subsidiary, it is likely that there will be efforts to find suitable alternative employment for NOTW staff elsewhere. Perhaps Journalists will transfer to a new-fangled, News International, owned Sunday title, or be rebranded on line?

I hope that the National Union of Journalists will now show its teeth, and come out fighting for its members.”

Philip Henson - Partner, and Head of Employment Law, of City Law firm Bargate Murray