Some waiters were hired to do dinner functions at the Grosvenor House Hotel. They were called up for banqueting occasions, and in their contracts it was written that they had no obligation to come, and by the same token the employer had no obligation to call them. They tried to organise a trade union, and were dismissed. They argued that they were dismissed unfairly, because trade union legislation (now in the Trade Union (Labour Relations) Consolidation Act 1992 s 162) gave them a right to not be discriminated against as "employees". However the employer argued that the unfair dismissal legislation (now, Employment Rights Act 1996 s 94) only covered "employees" - something different (now defined in ERA 1996 s 230) - which did not cover their situation. Representing the employer was Alexander Irvine QC, later the Lord Chancellor.
