Watkins triumph earns settlement with Ingram

Exclusive Distributor to negotiate compensation with dismissed former vice president.

Mike Watkins, Ingram Micro's former vice president of sales, has wonr vice president. a year-long battle with the distributor over claims that he was wrongfully and unfairly dismissed.

Watkins' victory over his former employer coincides with a flurry of legal activity in the channel, making his the sixth case this year as other companies - including Computacenter and Azlan - grappled with claims of racial discrimination, wrongful dismissal and breach of contract respectively.

The case, heard at Bedford Employment Tribunal on 26 October, resulted in an out-of-court financial settlement, which has not been agreed between the two parties.

Watkins, who headed up telesales while Lloyd Pinder was in charge of the field sales operation, was made redundant in November last year after six years at the company (PC Dealer, 3 December 1997).

His redundancy was part of a restructure by joint managing directors Bhavesh Patel and Steve Payne, which resulted in only one vice president role being required.

One industry source said: 'People at Ingram felt the decision was not handled properly.'

He added: 'Patel and Payne seemed to be making decisions about the restructure when they were aware that a new managing director was joining soon and would undertake his own reshuffle.'

Watkins, now sales director at Metrologie, said: 'I am pleased with the outcome of the tribunal, but I do not wish to comment further.'

In the case of wrongful dismissal, an employer must be proven to have breached the employment contract in dismissing an employee.

In terms of unfair dismissal, it must be proved that the employer breached the Employment Rights Act 1996, which states: 'All employees may claim unfair dismissal for redundancy after two years of continuous service.'

Ingram Micro refused to comment.

TWO YEARS OF LEGAL BATTLES

November 1996: Peter Rigby v Frontline Unfair dismissal, breach of contract and non-payment of wages. Out of court settlement

July 1997: MC O'Dowd v Computacenter Unfair dismissal. Found unfair March 1998, back pay and compensation of #3,500 ordered

September 1997: Caroline Olds v Computacenter Unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination. Unfairly dismissed, compensation dependent on outcome of current tribunal

October 1997: Roger Paul v Ilion Breach of contract. Outcome in favour of Paul October 1997: Allan Mack v Computer 2000 Breach of contract. Outcome in favour of Mack

April 1998: A Choudhary v Computacenter Racial discrimination. Status unknown

April 1998: Adrian Lamb v Azlan Wrongful dismissal and breach of contract. Status unknown

May 1998: Mark Sawicki v Computacenter Racial discrimination. Ongoing

May 1998: AB Woodward v Computacenter Unfair dismissal. Status unknown

July 1998: Carlton Ned, Alex Brown and Richard Smith v Concept Computing Breach of contract. Outcome in favour of Concept Computing.