A REDDITCH law student who is running his own business has lost compensation claims for equal pay and unfair dismissal because he registered them too late with Birmingham Employment Tribunal.

Tribunal judge Pauline Hughes told Iftab Hussain of Mount Pleasant, Redditch, she was surprised he did not find out before, in view of his studies in law, that he had to make his compensation claims within a tribunal deadline.

Mr Hussain had been employed as a sales assistant with the mobile phones firm Hutchinson 3G UK Ltd at Brierley Hill while studying law.

He sought approval at the tribunal hearing to go ahead with his compensation claim for equal pay after complaining he was not paid as much as a woman who did the same kind of work.

Mr Hussain also complained he had been unfairly dismissed by the firm and wanted this claim and the equal pay claim, heard at a full tribunal hearing later this year.

Mr Hussain said he lost his job at a time when he was struggling to help support his mother and sister.

He also said he had not been sleeping well and had received treatment from his doctor.

The firm opposed the compensation claims because they said they had been made beyond the tribunal’s deadline and should, therefore, be struck out.

Mrs Hughes said Mr Hussain had a six month deadline in which to register his equal pay claim and three months for the unfair dismissal claim but had failed to comply with either period.

“I have found Mr Hussain to be an honest witness,” she said. “But I am surprised that in view of his studies as a law student and his legal business dealing with claims, that he did not make his tribunal claims within the deadlines."

She dismissed both claims.

The firm then applied for costs of £600 against Mr Hussain after telling Mrs Hughes that he had previously been warned that he had little or no prospect of his case succeeding.

Mrs Hughes rejected the costs claim after hearing about Mr Hussain’s financial circumstances.