Freemasons in legal battle over unfair dismissal and unpaid wages

By Christine Lavelle

A BAR worker has lodged a legal battle against a Freemasons social club for her alleged unfair dismissal.

Gillian Borthwick says Beach Lane Social Club owes her for unpaid wages and holiday accruement, after she was struck off in January this year.

But the club, based in Portobello in Edinburgh, is arguing that Ms Borthwick was not a contracted employee and was only hired as a casual worker.

She said when she began doing odd shifts in 2005, she understood the work was casual but over the past five years she has been working regularly and thought she was now considered a full employee.