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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Employment Appeal Tribunal >> BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd v Paterson (Transfer of Undertakings : Service Provision Change) [2012] UKEAT 0003_12_2706 (27 June 2012) URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKEAT/2012/0003_12_2706.html Cite as: [2012] UKEAT 0003_12_2706, [2012] UKEAT 3_12_2706, [2013] ICR D3 |
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At the Tribunal | |
Before
THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE LANGSTAFF (PRESIDENT)
(SITTING ALONE)
APPELLANT | |
RESPONDENT |
Transcript of Proceedings
JUDGMENT
For the Appellant | MR B NAPIER (One of Her Majesty's Counsel) Instructed by: Eversheds LLP 70 Great Bridgewater Street Manchester M1 5ES |
For the Respondent | MR K McGUIRE (Advocate) Instructed by: Messrs Blackadders 30 & 34 Reform Street Dundee DD1 1RJ |
SUMMARY
TRANSFER OF UNDERTAKINGS – Service provision change
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Amendment
An Employment Judge raised the question whether there might have been a service provision change in April 2011 after all the evidence had been heard by reference to an alleged change in June 2011, submissions had been made, and he had already been considering the case for some days. The representative for the Respondent indicated that fresh and further evidence would be needed to deal with the point. No opportunity was given for this to happen. Accordingly, there had been a procedural irregularity which justified quashing the decision and remission for re-hearing.
THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE LANGSTAFF (PRESIDENT)
Introduction
The facts
"[…] it would be appropriate to hold a Pre-Hearing Review to determine whether TUPE applied to the claimant's transfer. It was the claimant's position as set out in their further particulars that the change in service provider which took place at the beginning of June 2011 was two-fold. Part of the Flight Simulation Services was re-let to the First Respondents; the other part was brought back in-house by MOD, the Second Respondents. It was their position that the TUPE Regulations applied to both changes of service provider."
"The matters to be determined by the pre-hearing review are:
(1) whether the TUPE Regulations applied to the transfer from Thales Training & Simulation (Merlin) Ltd to BAE Systems Ltd.
(2) Whether there was a TUPE transfer between Thales Training & Simulation (Merlin) Ltd and the Ministry of Defence."
"Employment Judge Watt advises that he considers when looking at all the papers and whilst preparing the judgment that it may be arguable that there could also have been a service provision change under Regulation 3(1)(b)(iii), i.e. a "contracting in" on the 1 April 2011 since the Fast Jet Simulator Instruction at Leuchars previously carried out by six civilian employees of Thales in May 2010 was then carried out after 1 April 2011 by one civilian employee of BAE and one RAF employee of the Ministry of Defence. The question of whether there could have been two service provision changes at the one time on 1 April 2011 was not addressed by parties and Employment Judge Watt therefore considers it is appropriate that he should obtain written submissions from the Claimant and from the First Respondents on this matter. Could written submissions please be submitted in this matter within 28 days?"
"Please disregard the copy sent to you by post as there are typographical errors in that letter."
The Employment Tribunal decision
"(1) These regulations apply to …
(b) A service provision change, that is a situation in which:
(i) Activities cease to be carried out by a person (a client) on his own behalf and are carried out instead by another person on the client's behalf ("a contractor).
(ii) Activities cease to be carried out by a contractor on a client's behalf (whether or not those activities had previously been carried out by the client on his own behalf) and are carried out instead by another person ("a subsequent contractor) on the client's behalf or;
(iii) Activities cease to be carried out by a contractor or a subsequent contractor on a client's behalf (whether or not those activities had previously been carried out by the client on his behalf) and are carried out instead by the client on his own behalf
and in which the conditions set out in paragraph 3 are satisfied …
(3) The conditions referred to in paragraph (1)(b) are that:
(a) Immediately before the service provision change:
(i) There is an organised grouping of employees situation in Great Britain which has its principle purpose the carrying out of the activities concerned on behalf of the client;
(ii) The client intends that the activities will following the service provision change be carried out by the transferee other than in connection with a single specific event or task or short-term duration.
(b) The activities concerned do not consist wholly or mainly of the supply of goods for the clients use."
Grounds of appeal
"1. A Tribunal should deal only with the issues which are identified as live before it. If it is to deal with another issue it must give the parties a full opportunity to consider it and to make submissions, both on the admissibility of such issue and upon the substance of it. If necessary, and if appropriate, an adjournment should be given.
2. The Tribunal is under a statutory duty to enquire into the matters before it and if it comes up with a point which had not occurred to the parties and was not vouchedsafed by previous case management or Pre-Hearing Reviews, it should take particular care especially when the parties are not legally represented to ensure that a full opportunity is given for the point to be considered, again this may require an adjournment. Silence by a litigant in person should not be taken as unequivocal acceptance of the correctness of the introduction of a new point."
The third principle related to discrimination cases alone.
"It was open to the Tribunal when it saw that a point had arisen that not occurred to the parties for it to make that known to the parties. Indeed it would stultify a Tribunal if it did not have that power. We hold that no error was committed by the Tribunal when it ventilated the matter which had occurred to it during the course of the evidence. The proper course was to consider what to do about that. We know that legal advice was available in the background to this employer from experienced employment solicitors. Had Mr Godfrey [he was a member of the staff of the Respondent who was representing it and was effectively a party litigant] said that he was overawed or confused as is to put to us or that he needed an opportunity to consult his solicitors, no doubt that would have been made available by the Tribunal and an adjournment would have been called for, however nothing was said."
"A three person Tribunal at a full hearing during the course of evidence will be better informed of the issues than a single Chairman at a PHR. It is not an error for a Tribunal having seen a point to raise it with the parties, indeed we consider that justice would require it to do that rather than standing by idly watching matters develop. However, the exercise of discretion in this case was, we hold, wrong in principle for the Respondent was not given the opportunity to do what we consider it would have done which was to take advice on what to do. This is particularly important because it is held against the Respondent in the findings by the Tribunal that it had no explanation."
On that ground, that is one of essential unfairness, the Appeal Tribunal allowed the appeal.
"May carry out a preliminary consideration of the proceedings and he may;
(a) Determine any interim or preliminary matter relating to the proceedings …"
The consequence
Conclusion