A Droitwich lorry driver is seeking compensation for constructive dismissal and unpaid holiday money after accusing his former employers of cutting workers perks following a takeover.

Mr Stephen Bishop, of The Oaklands, made his accusation at Birmingham Employment Tribunal against Corby Chilled Distribution Ltd.

Mr Bishop who had been a vehicle route planner for 16 years for successive firms on the same Alcester site, told the tribunal that problems started after Corby - which delivers food to hypermarkets such as Asda and Tesco - took over his former employers, Express Dairies, in February last year.

Mr Bishop said Corby caused annoyance among some of the 200-plus workers on the site by disbanding the free tea and coffee, banning free uniforms and by introducing a new signing-in process.

Both Mr Bishop and fellow worker Michael Wattis - he also left the firm last year after becoming fed up with the working situation - complained that they were not paid four weeks holiday money when they left.

They said there had been an arrangement with Express Dairies that they would forgo any holiday during the first 52 working weeks and be paid for them - a total each of more than £1,000. The Corby firm opposed all the claims.

Finance director Carol Simey told the tribunal the firm had not paid the holiday money because there had been no written evidence to suggest such an agreement existed. Mr Tim Sheppard, representing the firm, said: "There was no reference to the banked holidays in the workers' contracts."

Tribunal chairwoman Mrs Pauline Hughes adjourned the hearing to later in the year when she said a decision would be made.