Gulliver’s Truck Hire workers have their day in court following firm’s collapse

Four days before Christmas last year 311 workers at Gulliver’s Truck Hire based in Bristol were made redundant.

Ten months later they have been awarded compensation at a Manchester Employment Tribunal.

The BBC reported: “A total of 311 people were made redundant from Bristol-based Gulliver's Truck Hire in December 2018 after efforts to turn it around had failed. Lawyers argued Gulliver's breached employment law by not giving sufficient warning of the closures or consulting.

“Judge Hoey awarded compensation at a maximum of £525 per week for 90 days. The decision affecting all claimants was made at the employment tribunal in Manchester on Tuesday.No-one from Gulliver's Truck Hire attended the hearing.

“As the company is in administration the maximum payable is eight weeks with deductions for national insurance and any benefits claimed over the eight week period. Each claimant will receive a slightly different amount depending on their individual circumstances.”

The truck hire firm was founded in 1960 and was based on St Philips Marsh in Bristol but grew to have depots in Cardiff, Heathrow and elsewhere. Trading difficulties had been experienced in successive years leading up to 2018 with KPMG called in as administrators.

Motor Transport magazine said:” At a Manchester employment tribunal, the judge said the company had also failed to elect appropriate employee representatives; a failure described as being ‘of the utmost seriousness’. The Bristol-based company, which operated a fleet of 3,800 commercial vehicles and employed around 300 staff across seven sites.”

“The demise of Gulliver’s Truck Hire in December last year was triggered by an increasingly competitive market, falling demand for trucks and vans and “issues” with the firm’s three axle tractor units, according to the firm’s administrators. The Bristol-based company, which operated a fleet of 3,800 commercial vehicles and employed 282 staff across seven sites, went into administration on 18 December last year, owing £16.9m to 680 creditors and £76m to 13 HP funders.”

KPMG’s David Pike and Mark Orton were appointed Joint Administrators of Gulliver's Truck Hire Limited on 18 December 2018. there is more on the story at Motor Transport magazine https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2019/02/19/faulty-trucks-and-falling-demand-key-factors-in-gullivers-fall-say-administrators/

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