Migrant nurse wins legal boost in unfair dismissal claim against UK health care firm
Migrant nurse wins legal boost in unfair dismissal claim against UK health care firm. The unpaid wages of an Indian nurse who was fired by a British care company were settled for £17,000.
Kirankumar Rathod was fired from Clinica Private Healthcare after voicing concerns about the lack of work being offered to him. With full-time employment promised, Rathod and several of his colleagues had been persuaded to relocate to the UK.
He paid an Indian recruitment agent £22,000 for the position; Clinica hired him, but they never gave him a job or paid him. He was given a notice of termination accusing him of “gross insubordination” following several months of inaction.
Employment judge Natasha Joffe last week issued an unprecedented interim finding, directing Clinica to pay late wages and maintain salary payments until a full wrongful dismissal action can be heard.
Since the government made care workers eligible for a Health and Care Work visa as part of the Skilled Worker visa pathway in 2022, an estimated 100,000 foreign workers have arrived in the UK.
The verdict could be significant because it “shows redress is possible for the many people who have been wronged by the way the visa scheme has been operated,” according to Sarmila Bose of the Work Rights Centre, which supported Rathod in his lawsuit.
She went on to say that Rathod and his family had experienced extreme financial difficulties, thus the monetary award was significant.
Judge Joffe concluded that since he was going to win his case against the unfair dismissal, he should be compensated for all salaries he did not get between the time of his termination and the conclusion of his lawsuit.
“The situation has been extremely challenging, both emotionally and financially,” Rathod told Reuters. I had a hard time providing for my family without any income or money from Clinica.”
The Guardian newspaper published extensive claims of foreign worker exploitation in the healthcare and social services earlier this year. Lawyers and anti-trafficking activists are hoping that more workers who have had similar financial hardships will come forward.
UK JOBS & IMMIGRATION NEWS UPDATES
Five of the highest-paying European nations are now hiring foreign workers
JOIN WITH US WHATSAPP CHANNEL: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4bIhd6GcGCVFJLgE2L