Hundreds of former Thomas Cook staff in line for payments

Peterborough based Thomas Cook collapsed in September 2019. Credit: ITV News

Hundreds of former workers from the Peterborough-based travel firm Thomas Cook are in line for payments over the way the company made them redundant.

The staff union, Transport Salaried Staffs' Association,  said a decision over the firm's failure to consult before making redundancies means former employees could claim as much as 4,200 pounds each from the Insolvency Service.

  • Up to 1,500 former employees are in line for awards of thousands of pounds each.

The union said there was no prior warning or consultation before Thomas Cook went into liquidation in September 2019, with around 1,500 London, Manchester and Peterborough employees losing their jobs.

Thomas Cook employed hundreds of people at its base in Peterborough. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Thomas Cook should have started a consultation process with TSSA at least 45 days before making anyone redundant, but staff were made redundant with immediate effect, said the union.

A tribunal has awarded the maximum of 90 days pay for each of the affected employees, said the TSSA.



General secretary Manuel Cortes said: "I'm delighted for our members and all those who were failed by both Thomas Cook and the Government.

"Our union has fought for our members at Thomas Cook all the way and this judgment shows we have been justified.

"Our members endured harsh treatment from the start, not only through the actions of the company but at the hands of a government which failed to step in to save this cornerstone of our high streets when it made perfect sense to do so."