PR manager’s sacking was ‘related to NUJ membership’
Manchester city Council is holding talks with bosses at Manchester Airport after an employment tribunal found that a former airport communications manager had been sacked for reasons relating to her membership of the NUJ.
Jennifer Walley, Manchester branch Equality Officer and a past member of the NUJ’s Equality Council, won a £25,000 payout from the airport which is owned by the city council and nine other Greater Manchester local authorities.
The tribunal criticised senior managers involved in the disciplinary process against her, saying there were defects in the investigation and disciplinary hearing and that a subsequent appeal process was “flawed”.
The airport’s head of risk assurance Chris Humm, who conducted the investigation, had effectively “shifted the goalposts” when he introduced new issues during his interview with Jennifer Walley. She received no written notification of the new allegations, even though this was a requirement in the company’s disciplinary procedure.
Employment Judge Valerie Cook, chair of the tribunal panel, said it was their unanimous decision that Jennifer Walley had been unfairly dismissed for reasons relating to her membership of the union.
NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear has called on the airport’s owners to investigate Jennifer Walley’s dismissal and the NUJ’s Manchester branch has launched a letter writing campaign to councillors and MPs.
A city council spokesperson has confirmed it will be talking to the airport about the case.
Jeremy Dear said: “Jen has shown she is courageous, committed to the pursuit of the truth and principled throughout this long ordeal. She has exposed the failings and falsehoods of those who sought to tarnish her reputation. She richly deserves this significant victory.”
Jennifer Walley managed the airport’s press office and was suspended from her job in May 2006 following the submission of alternative proposals by members of the communications team in response to a management restructuring plan which included loss of jobs.
Management believed Jennifer Walley had put together the alternative proposals herself, but the Tribunal heard from her colleagues that she was not the sole author and other people had contributed.