A group of 144 former workers at Mivan, the Northern Ireland construction company which collapsed nearly a year ago, have won a compensation settlement which could be worth in the region of £360,000.

Administrators were appointed to the Co Antrim firm, which had employed 242 people, at the beginning of this year. Solicitors representing 144 of the former employees successfully argued at an industrial tribunal in the North that the workers had been made redundant without warning and were entitled to a protective award.

Under current legislation, any firm that intends to make 20 or more workers redundant within a 90-day period must inform trade unions of employee representatives to discuss ways of minimising the redundancies

Because Mivan is an insolvent company the compensation award will be paid by the Redundancy Payments Service and is capped at eight weeks pay.

John O’Neill, from solicitors Thompsons NI, who represented the former Mivan employes said other former workers at the firm could also be eligible for a payout.

Mr O’Neill said. “While this most recent decision of the tribunal potentially makes a similar award to these persons, they will not receive any such award without pursuing a formal legal process of making a claim to the tribunal.

“As there is a short time limit for any such claims at this stage, it is vital that any ex-Mivan employee who was dismissed on or after 17 January 2014 who has not already been part of any such claim and now wishes to do so should do so as soon as possible.”