Two bus drivers have been told to pay their former employer a total of £2,550 in costs after losing a series of legal claims against the firm.
Graham Thompson and David Henry had previously made legal claims against Go-Ahead subsidiary London Central Bus Company (LCBC), including breach of contract and race discrimination.
The claims were struck out at previous hearings after the firm opposed them, describing the race discrimination claims as “hopeless”.
At the latest London South Employment Tribunal hearing at Croydon, LCBC made applications for legal costs against both men after complaining that the claims should not have been brought in the first place.
Mr Thompson had also had a previous claim for unfair dismissal struck out.
He had alleged that, at one stage, he had been denied being accompanied by a representative of his choice – trade union representative John Neckless.
Judge John Crosfill decided that Mr Thompson should pay LCBC £2,250 in costs and Mr Henry pay £300.
Tribunals normally only award costs in certain circumstances but Mr Crosfill said they were justified in these two cases.
One case involving Mr Thompson was said to have been withdrawn after a “long procedural history only shortly before the date listed for the hearing”.
Neither claimant attended the costs hearing and both were represented by Mr Neckless.
LCBC also asked the judge to consider making Mr Neckless pay a contribution towards the legal costs, but Mr Crosfill declined.
The Tribunal was told that Mr Thompson had withdrawn a previous claim for unfair dismissal after he was reinstated but made another claim for unfair dismissal after losing his job a second time.
The second unfair dismissal claim was struck out.
Mr Crosfill said that Mr Henry’s claim had been struck out because he had failed to pay the hearing fee.
Details involving the dismissals were not revealed.
