Discrimination case ‘leads to £1m payout’

A local authority worker may be set to receive a £1 million payout following an age discrimination case.

John Wooster, 52, went to court after being made redundant from Tower Hamlets council in East London seven months before he turned 50.

This meant he would have to wait until he was 65 before he could claim his pension, while should the redundancy have been enforced after he turned 50 he would also immediately have had access to the cash pot.

Mr Wooster had worked as a senior consultant officer for the local authority and had been with the council for 33 years.

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A 2008 employment tribunal found in the claimant’s favour and he is now claiming £1 million – which, should he be successful, will be the largest ever discrimination payout.

Melinda Bodnar, 27, recently took legal action against Oaktree Nursery School in Balham, south-west London, after claiming to have been sacked while battling bowel cancer.