ABSTRACT
Deakin and Morris (1998) state that the law relating to unfair dismissal and redundancy payments affects the entire structure of the employment relationship: • it sets the norms for lesser disciplinary sanctions, for example,
suspension or demotion; • it qualifies the common law right to insist on unilateral change; • dismissal law is the bulwark of those fundamental employment
rights currently recognised by UK law, for example, trade union membership, health and safety protection, pregnancy and maternity rights.
