49er Captain George Crofts Receives Landmark Ruling in UK House of Lords
Crofts v Veta
Captain George Crofts is the 49er plaintiff in the UK legal actions. Since July 2001, the UK legal arguments have centered on jurisdiction: whether a pilot working for Cathay Pacific Airways, or its subsidiaries, is covered by UK employment legislation. In May 2005, the Appeals Court ruled that Veta pilots (those flying Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft but based in the UK) were covered by the UK Employment Rights Act.
Veta appealed to the House of Lords and the case was heard in November 2005, with the judgment being handed down in January 2006. The House of Lords ruled in favour of Captain Crofts.
In summary, Captain Crofts has had jurisdictional rulings in his favour at the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and now, finally, in the House of Lords. Throughout, Veta has been ordered to pay costs. Captain Crofts put the facts of his case – for breach of contract, unfair dismissal and failure to provide written reasons – before the Employment Tribunal on 25th & 26th July 2006. This was the first time that the unjust events of July 2001 were aired publicly in court. Notwithstanding the circumstances of the dismissal, the House of Lords ruling has greatly enhanced UK job protection, not only for UK Veta pilots, but also for other “peripatetic employees” – people who are based in one country but whose work constantly takes them to different places. They are now all covered by the UK Employment Rights Act.