A FARMHAND who was paid £340 a week for milking goats has won a legal claim against a Bridgwater farm after the slaughter of 900 animals caused the loss of his job.

Ryszard Krzyzanowski, a Polish national, had been employed as a goat milker and farmhand by Bryger Farms Ltd of Oakenford Farm, Goathurst, Bridgwater.

He made legal claims for unfair dismissal and for the unlawful deduction of wages at Exeter Employment Tribunal against his former employers.

He made a further claim for having no written statement of particulars of employment.

The hearing took place a few weeks ago and this week tribunal judge Nick Roper announced that Mr Krzyzanowski had been successful.

The farm dealt in goats and cows and Mr Krzyzanowski milked 900 goats apart from doing other jobs for £340 for a 40 hour week.

But the tribunal was told that the herd had to be slaughtered over three different periods last year because of the TB disease.

The respondents opposed the legal claims and said the claimant had been redundant because there was no work for him when the entire herd were slaughtered. They said they could not provide alternative work.

Mr Kryzanowski did not complain about the loss of his job, however, but said he should have been given ample notice about his redundancy.

Mr Roper said: “There was clearly a redundancy situation because of the slaughter and I accept no alternative employment was available.”

But he said the respondents had failed to consult with the claimant about his impending redundancy and that having no written statement of employment was a breach of the regulations.

As a result Mr Roper awarded Mr Krzyzanowski £340 for unfair dismissal, £1,473 in unpaid wages and £680 for having no written statement of employment – a total of £2,493.