Union leaders have reacted angrily to news that 27 of the oldest workers on the Longleat Estate have been sacked, just a year before new laws would make such a move illegal.
The estate, which employs 450 full-time and part-time workers at the height of the tourist season, has confirmed that it is letting the staff go but denies that it is age discrimination. Of the 27, 18 were between 70 and 75 and a further seven were between 75 and 80, most of them were part-time workers who were described as “only doing the odd day during the tourist season”.
However TUC regional secretary Nigel Costley has said that the move has been made now to try and avoid the new legislation which is due to come in next October. He said that it was bad for the employer as they lose the experience and bad for the individuals involved. Jo Sparrow, marketing manager for Longleat denied the claims and said it was part of “modernisation plans”.
She said: “We have not made any redundancies. All staff have a contract which says they retire at 65. We have previously had a relaxed approach and let them continue working if they want to. We are looking for new skill sets, like IT skills, for the new season when we will have new attractions and new animals. Sadly, that means we’ve had to let go of some long-standing staff.”
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1332673/Marquess-Bath-78-sacks-65-Longleat-Safari-Park.html
