A REDDITCH engineer who complained he lost his job repairing and servicing cleaning equipment in schools when his employer lost a major council contract has been given the go-ahead to make a compensation claim for unfair dismissal.

Stephen Footman, of Sandhurst Close, carried out his work at 100 Solihull schools for Cleaning Machines International Ltd., Birmingham Employment Tribunal was told.

When the firm lost the contract last year, Mr Footman said he was told his job would be transferred to the new employer which had won the contract - Scrubtec of Sutton Coldfield.

But David Male, who runs the one-man Scrubtec business, disputed the transfer. He told the tribunal preliminary hearing he had decided to carry out the council contract on his own and that he did not need Mr Footman.

"My tender for the council contract was the lowest at £43,856 and the highest was £67,397. I would not have been able to tender such a low contract price if I had had to employ Mr Footman."

The hearing was held to decide whether Mr Footman's job was legally transferred to Scrubtec from Cleaning Machines International Ltd.

Mr Footman said he worked five days a week on the council contract, servicing and repairing 1,800 cleaning equipment and floor polishing devices in 100 schools and had been assured by his former firm that his job was secure on transfer.

He needed to know who was responsible for his employment because he had made a claim for unfair dismissal.

"Losing the council contract was the final blow for the Cleaning Machines firm for whom I had worked since February 2002", said Mr Footman.

Tribunal chairman Charles Goodier said: "This was not an easy case to consider but my decision is that Mr Footman's job was transferred to Scrubtec."

As a result he gave Mr Footman the go ahead to make a compensation claim for unfair dismissal at a full hearing later.

Mr Male said he would be opposing Mr Footman's claim.

Mr Footman said afterwards that he had since been unable to find another job.