Sacked rail driver gets payout

London: A train driver who took 134 sick days in 22 months has won a £28,000 (Dh162,325) payout for unfair dismissal.

Darrin Thomas was sacked by rail operators Southeastern after taking the huge number of sick days — more than one every four days — because of his asthma.

The 45-year-old, who had smoked since the age of 15, was sacked for "poor attendance" just a month after he gave up cigarettes.

The tribunal heard that Thomas clocked up 134 sick days between January 2009 and November 2010 and was sacked on November 22, 2010.

But an employment tribunal in Ashford, Kent, awarded him £28,000 for unfair dismissal after he claimed he was discriminated against because of his disability.

Severe

The tribunal heard that Southeastern had "failed to take Thomas' disabilities into account", although a spokesman for the firm said it was "unaware" of his asthma until he lodged the appeal.

Father-of-three Thomas, of Ramsgate, Kent, had asked the tribunal for a £100,000 payout.

The tribunal heard how Thomas — who also suffers from eczema — would probably have had to give up his job of his own accord because of the "severity and persistence of his symptoms".

Thomas admitted he hadn't raised his asthma before appealing against his dismissal, saying he was "unaware of its significance".