News

A major book publisher has been fined £55,000 for failing to implement rules to ensure staff were consulted over relevant management decisions.

Unite the Union represented 1,300 staff in the case against Macmillan, which was found to have repeatedly refused to bring in the Information and Consultation Regulations that came into force in 2004.

It is the fourth time the publisher has been found in breach of the regulations and has ignored two rulings against it by the Central Arbitration Committee.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal took 20 minutes to reach its decision.

Macmillan said in a statement: "Whilst we accept that we have not complied with the original CAC ruling, it remains a fact that we have had well established information and consultation mechanisms in place for over 30 years. We find it hard to believe that the legislation was intended to be used against a Company, such as ourselves, that has consulted with its workforce for many years."

Tony Burke, assistant general secretary at Unite, described the victory as setting a precedent, but was concerned that the inconsequential fine would not be enough to act as a deterrent.

"We hope the company will now open urgent talks with us as until this issue is resolved, they will continue to be in breach of the regulations they have been fined for. These regulations are not going away and neither are we," he said.

Little appears to have changed at Macmillan, according to Unite's senior representative at the publisher, Douglas Williamson. "The biggest issue for us is that the company is still not informing and consulting us over fundamental issues that affect our day-to-day employment.

"These employment rights have been given to us through a European Directive, but after two years of rigorous campaigning, and after four successful cases against the company, they still refuse to comply with their legal obligations here in the UK," added Williamson.

However, Macmillan said it was in the process of trying to consult with "interested parties in order to establish a national Information and Consultation body for the Macmillan Group in the UK in addition to our Joint Consultative Committee structure".