Legal Updates

Councillor ''slur'' partner loses unfair dismissal claim

Date:  14 Aug 2008

A woman who claimed she was bullied out of her job has lost her claim for unfair dismissal, it has been claimed.

Susan Parry, who worked for Sunderland property group gentoo, told an employment tribunal she had suffered a fundamental breach of contract as a result of comments made by former employer Peter Walls during a business meeting, reports the Sunderland Echo.

He described Ms Parry''s partner – former city councillor and gentoo critic Peter Tansey – as "a nutter", an event she claimed amounted to "a personal attack on her".

"Many of the staff knew I was Michael''s partner and they should have known it would upset me," she added.

Mr Walls confessed to using slurs against town Conservative councillors but denied making reference to Mr Tansey.

As the hearing proceeded, gentoo chairman wrote to the claimant, suggesting there was "a dilemma to address" over the conflict between her role at the firm and the comments made about her partner.

However, the tribunal ruled in favour of gentoo, a decision Mr Tansey claimed "flies in the face of all logic".

Lynne Burns is an employment law specialist working at Vizards Tweedie and dealing with all aspects of employment law

back to Legal Updates