An Indian nurse who was sacked by a British care company won a significant payout on Monday in a case that lawyers said could spur other migrant workers to pursue claims against unscrupulous bosses...

Rathod said he was left in dire financial straits after London-based Clinica Private Healthcare Ltd hired him, but failed to provide him with any work and then fired him.

In an unusual ruling on Monday, employment judge Natasha Joffe ordered Clinica to pay Rathod nearly 17,000 pounds ($22,260) in unpaid wages to date, and to continue paying his salary until his claim for unfair dismissal is decided.

"This is very significant," Rathod's solicitor Sarmila Bose of the Work Rights Centre told Context.

"It shows that redress is possible for the many people who have been wronged by the way the visa scheme has been operated."

Bose said the award was “a lifesaver” for Rathod, his wife and six-year-old daughter who had been left in a “desperate financial situation” by Clinica...

When no work materialised, Rathod and other employees visited Clinica's west London offices several times.

Following one visit, he received an email accusing him of "gross insubordination".

After months without work, Rathod told a company representative he would take legal action. He was sacked the following day on Nov. 8, 2023...

But Bose said this was the tip of the iceberg.

"Some companies employed dozens of people (from overseas) when they didn't really have jobs for them," she said. "The number of people affected overall is in the thousands."