Tomlinson was last week dismissed from King George Hospital, Ilford, where he has worked for 15 years, for allegedly failing to pay for a £4.00 breakfast following a misunderstanding over payment.
Tomlinson said: “I am delighted at clearing my name and getting my job back. Vanessa Feltz interviewed me on Wednesday morning and the support from her and her listeners blew me away. I look forward to going back to work on Monday.”
The reinstatement was announced one hour before GMB were planning to hold a protest outside the hospital.
Michael Dooley, the GMB local representative, said: “Dismissing a worker with a 15 year unblemished service record was not the best move Sodexo made, maybe they thought that it was acceptable but the strength of GMB came down from day one and I imagine they realised that we were not going to leave this member to this fate.”
Following the dismissal, a spokesperson for Sodexo confirmed the employee had been dismissed and had the opportunity to appeal the decision. The appeal was scheduled to be heard next week.
A spokesman for Sodexo, following Tomlinson’s reinstatement, said: “We received an appeal, reviewed the situation and offered the employee reinstatement, which he has accepted. We look forward to seeing him back at work on Monday.”
Sodexo, the foodservice and facilities management company, was founded in 1966 and is the 18th largest employer worldwide.