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Halliwells: future Manchester and London trainees left jobless

As with the Shoosmiths saga, the SRA roll out the same gutless line; "this is an employment law issue". Too true it is - but why this stops the SRA compelling the transfer of trainees to other firms during a firm's collapse or at least issuing penal measures against the acquirer of the business of a collapsed firm baffles me. If an acquirer were to sack contracted employees in this manner in an ordinary takeover then TUPE would protect said employee and nail said firm. If the SRA cannot regulate a fairly basic set of circumstances covered by statute in other similar circumstances, for the benefit of the apprentice and most vulnerable end of its profession, then it serves as much practical use as a Porsche Boxter minus its engine. Given that the SRA have now failed to act twice in appalling circumstances then at the very least they should dispense with the regulation prohibiting prospective trainees from applying to other firms having accepted an offer of a Training Contract. If the SRA fails to provide traineeship security for the trainee then why should firms receive security of trainee loyalty? Yet again these circumstances highlight the curiously eccentric desire of law firms to recruit 2 years in advance blind of future conditions. A reactive, fluid and quickstep trainee recruitment programme is commonplace in other industries - why the legal profession has to be bloody awkward and downright stupid about this procedure is a mystery to me.

23-Jul-2010

3:26 pm