A KITCHEN worker is taking a trendy board game bar chain to an employment tribunal alleging he was dismissed due to his trade union membership, United Voices of the World (UVW) said today.

The union launched legal action against Draughts after Awed Nur was let go from its site in Stratford, east London, a day after UVW served formal notice of its intention to ballot workers for strike action.

A spokesman for the union said that the Sudanese worker’s employment was terminated on the alleged grounds of a “reduced need for staffing hours” but “UVW contends that the real motive behind the dismissal was retaliatory and directly linked to Awed’s trade union membership.”

Mr Nur said: “I was completely shocked and humiliated. I had no warnings, no issues at work, and was simply doing my job.

“Being told I was no longer needed, just a day after the union notified management of a strike ballot made it clear to me what this was about.

“I was standing up for my rights with my union, and they just threw me out like I didn’t matter. But I’m not backing down — and I know UVW has my back.”

UVW has stated that the dispute with Draughts concerns broader issues affecting staff across all three locations, including the use of zero-hour contracts.

General secretary Petros Elia said: “Awed had an impeccable track record, and his only ‘crime’ was to stand with his fellow workers and demand fair treatment.

“UVW will pursue every available legal and industrial avenue to defend Awed and to hold Draughts accountable.”

Draughts was contacted for comment.