Pension rule backedEmployment lawyers have welcomed last week's decision by the House of Lords which will entitle thousands of part-time workers to claim pension entitlements.

The long-awaited Lords decision in Preston and Others v Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust and Others - which confirmed a European Court of Justice ruling last May - will now allow part-time workers to claim pensions rights as far back as 1976.

However, the Lords upheld a rule which requires claims to be lodged within six months of the end of employment.

Employees on successive short-term contracts can also claim, provided it is within six months of the end of the final contract.

Catherine Thorpe, partner at London firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain who acted for the National Association of Schoolmasters /Union of Women Teachers, said it was 'immensely satisfying' that part-time workers would now be compensated for their losses.

Joy Drummond, the partner at Lawfords in London who represented the Union of Financial Services Employees, said she expected that thousands of similar claims would now be made.

Lawfords and RPC won the employment team of the year award at last week's Legal Business awards.Meanwhile, a report by the Industrial Society has suggested that the much-trumpeted alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes being established by the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service as an alternative to employment tribunals could turn out to be as time-consuming, formalised and expensive as tribunals.

Sue Allen and Victoria MacCallum