Can anyone recommend a good solicitor that specialises in employment law in the Dorset kind of area would also go as far as Salisbury or Southampton.
It's not for me, but the old man who is having issues at work, his union have got involved but they may have there own agenda, so an independent person could be useful.

my brother is an employment lawyer – http://www.partnerslaw.net/index.htm

Try CAB or the local law centre for advise for free.

The local CAB are a waste of time, we visited them when my wife was accused of something to get her out of her job as she had just told them she was pregnant, and they couldn't afford the maternity and the cost of covering her job, especially when she said she was going back part time afterwards.
We ended up with a no win no fee money grabber, who with my help (I did a lot of the research and leg work) won the case.
But my Dad's issue is more complex.
Snowslave thanks for the link, ideally he would prefer somebody closer to home.