Former Global Mobile Vision employee asks court to enforce dismissal award

A former employee of Global Mobile Vision Limited (GMV), the technology company that went into voluntary liquidation last year amid a number of allegations from staff, went to court yesterday to enforce an unfair dismissal award.

John Bates asked the county registrar to enforce the €9,000 award made in his favour in December by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).

Mr Bates was also seeking costs in yesterday's case.

The €9,000 award had not been appealed by GMV and the company was not represented at yesterday's proceedings.

Mr Bates, who represented himself, was suspended from GMV in June last year. The company, which specialised in mobile streaming technology, ceased trading the same month.

Creditors of GMV heard earlier this week that it had left a deficiency of €1.46 million, including more than €160,000 owed to employees. The employees learned after the creditors' meeting that their claims should be paid by the Redundancy and Employers' Insolvency Fund.

Some 22 individuals from GMV won compensation awards at the LRC last year, although Mr Bates was the only employee to seek recourse for unfair dismissal due to trade union activity.

The county registrar, Susan Ryan, yesterday questioned Mr Bates's application because it referred to "Global Mobile Vision", as opposed to the company's official name, "Global Mobile Vision Limited". She said the word "Limited" needed to be added to the Rights Commissioner's determination for her to be able to enforce the award.

The registrar suggested the enforcement might be "academic" anyway, since GMV is in liquidation. This could mean there would be no financial incentive for the employees to come to court to enforce their claims.

It is thought, however, that Mr Bates is keen to enforce the award because it would then be officially registered against the company.

The matter was adjourned until March 23rd. The registrar said this should give Mr Bates time to have the determination amended by the LRC.

The Rights Commissioner at the LRC found in December that Mr Bates had been justified in seeking the support of a trade union (Siptu) after experiencing "serious difficulties" in being paid by GMV last year.

He also concluded that these union activities had been the main reason for his dismissal.