THREE former senior managers With the Norwich Union life assurance group told the employment appeals tribunal yesterday they wanted their jobs back, even if that meant returning £370,000 in redundancy package payments.
"The only reason I took this base was with the view of getting my job back," said former regional manager, Mr Gerald Loomes. "I always enjoyed my job. To me it was not just a career, it was like a vocation." Mr Loomes, Mr Paul Short, a regional manager based in Dun Laoghaire, and Mr James Wiseman, a regional manager based in Galway, were made redundant in March 1995.
At the time the company reduced the number of its regional offices from eight to four.
The court heard that in the case of Mr Loomes, whose redundancy package came to over 160,000, he would have to return around £50,000 if he won she case and was awarded the maximum compensation possible, equal to two years enumeration.
Mr Peter Finlay, BL, for the three claimants, said the men were not seeking compensation.
"They came here seeking their jobs back. They will hand back whatever they have to hand back in order to get their jobs." Mr Loomes, who was with Norwich Union for 27 years, was given £121,712 and had an extra £36,578 put into his pension fund so he could begin drawing down payments when he reached 55 years of age. Mr Wiseman, who was with the company for 30 years, received £103,000, and had £14,446 injected into his pension fund.
Mr Short, who was with the company for 18 years, got £93,0000. His package did not include the bringing forward of his pension, as he was aged under 50 years. This was company policy.
The court heard that the men, along with the five other regional managers, were told on January 6th, 1995 of the decision to reduce the number of positions. Mr Charles Henihan, sales and marketing manager, then met each of the men individually "to talk to them about their view and feelings about what they wanted to do".
A few days after completing this round of meetings, three senior executives decided who would be appointed to run the four, new expanded regions. The three claimants were told they were being made redundant. One regional manager was appointed to another post rather than made redundant.
Mr Loomes said his meeting with Mr Henihan last for 20 minutes. "A 20 minute meeting after 27 years I felt was grossly unfair to me, less than one minute for each year in service," Responding to Mr Tom Mallon, BL, for the company, Mar Loomes agreed that Mr Henihan knew him and the other claimants for many years, as did the other two executives who decided which managers would be appointed to the new posts.
Mr Short and Mr Wiseman said they had the same grievances as Mr Loomes. They complained of short meetings with Mr Henihan, and the fact that, during the meetings, there was no discussion of their performance with the company.
They said the wanted to be reinstated, if not in their old jobs then in some capacity.
Mr Mallon said the claimants had failed to prove that theirs' were not valid redundancies or the dismissals were unfair.
Judgement was reserved.
