Seven women who were employed at a dental practice in Llangollen have been awarded over £30,000 compensation at an employment tribunal.
They were originally employed by Pawl Kusmierek and Magda Karasiewicz, trading as Llangollen Dental Practice, which ran into financial difficulties.
It was taken over in March of this year by HC1150 Ltd, a subsidiary of the Velvet Group Ltd. All seven of the women were told working practices remain as they were.
At the tribunal it transpired the women were given staff appraisals, given a month’s pay, and introduced to the staff handbook. All seven women believed their jobs were safe.
However, in April they were all dismissed.
Tribunal judge John Haul found in favour of the women, and according to their solicitor, they had been treated unfairly under the terms of the business transfer.
At the hearing it was revealed that dentists refused to work as they were not paid, and a series of bills for the collection of clinical waste had also gone unpaid. At one point a bailiff turned up at the dental surgery.
Each woman will now receive between £1500 to £9000 in unfair dismissal compensation, depending on the length of time they worked at the practice.
Susan Davies, former practice manager at the dental surgery said all the women were pleased at the outcome.
She said: “Some women lost their homes and we all had bills to pay.”
HC1156 Ltd denied responsibility for the women.
The women’s solicitor added: “All employees have lost their jobs as a result of a calculated cynical manipulation of financial resources.”
