A child care worker has won a claim for unfair dismissal from a Weeley pre-school.

Jane Palmer, of Hill Top Crescent, Weeley, was awarded £494.25 in her case against Weeley Rainbow Pre-school of Clacton Road, at an industrial tribunal yesterday.

The tribunal at Bury St Edmunds heard Mrs Palmer worked for the pre-school group from the autumn of 1997 to the end of the summer 1999.

She was appointed deputy supervisor in April 1999 but the position was later taken away, tribunal chairman David Crome said.

She said she was unhappy when her hours were cut and resigned in July 1999 but was encouraged to withdraw her resignation.

She wanted to work five mornings a week instead of three which she was offered.

Later there were a series of meetings to discuss rotas and supervisor Debbie Chivers said Mrs Palmer did not always attend.

Mrs Palmer said she was invited to attend a meeting on September 3, to discuss hours, but telephoned the group's chair Amanda Parker to say she could not attend.

Later in the evening, she said, a colleague visited to ask her to go to the meeting.

"I said I have told Amanda I will accept four and a half days," said Mrs Palmer.

But the tribunal heard she had been warned to attend the meeting or the group would consider that she had resigned.

Mrs Palmer said she was "horrified" when she received a letter saying her absence had been taken as a resignation.

Mrs Chivers said she had heard good reports from other employees about Mrs Palmer and tried to accommodate her desire for hours.

She said: "I knew she had resigned in the past. At two previous meetings she had told us that if we could not provide her with the financial requirements for her family she would have to go."

Tribunal chairman David Crome said in making the award the panel had reduced the amount of compensation by 80 per cent.

He said Mrs Palmer should have been given another opportunity to discuss hours.

But he said there was a 40 per cent chance she would not turn up.

He said the panel thought she could have written a note explaining why she could not attend.

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