Legal threat at Money Channel

Legal action is planned by the union in support of staff at the bankrupt TV station.

When receivers were called into the Money Channel on May 4, staff were told that they were dismissed "forthwith" and were advised that they should register themselves as preferred creditors in order to recover unpaid wages.

However, the staff affected were not employed directly by Money Channel, and actually worked for a facilities company Communicopia, which had not ceased trading.

The union argued that they should all have been given one month's contractual notice of dismissal, and full payment of all wages owed to them. The fact that income from the Money Channel had dried up was a problem for the company, not the staff, said BECTU.

Union solicitors are now preparing tribunal claims for wrongful dismissal on behalf of members at the station.

Officials are confident that the claims will succeed, and the union has also reported the situation to the Independent Television Commission which is responsible for regulation of stations like the Money Channel.