Former employees of Jamie Oliver's restaurants pursue tribunal over redundancies

Former employees of Jamie Oliver's UK restaurants are planning to pursue pay-outs in an employment tribunal over the nature of their redundancies.

Law firm SDM Legal has said it is representing around 70 staff, with more joining the planned action each day.

Carl Moran and Hannah Durham of SDM Legal will argue that the employees are each entitled to a protective award of up to 90 days gross pay because a 30-day consultation period was not carried out prior to their redundancy.

The planned proceedings relate to in-administration subsidiary companies Jamie's Italian, One New Change [which traded as Barbecoa] and Fifteen restaurant [London]. Jamie Oliver Holdings, the media and licensing arms of the chef's business, is unaffected.

Oliver's UK restaurants fell into administration in May, resulting in approximately 1,000 redundancies. KPMG, appointed to lead the administration process, declined to comment on the proposed action.

The administrators had been able to save three sites and around 250 jobs with the sale of Jamie Oliver's Diner, Jamie's Italian and Jamie's Coffee Lounge, all at Gatwick Airport, to travel caterer the SSP Group.

Fifteen Cornwall, which operates under a franchise agreement, was unaffected by the administration.

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