BRUM “RACISM” - SIR ALBERT GAGS LABOUR

26-03-2007

Sir Albert Bore has moved to silence fellow Labour councillors over the recent Employment Tribunal verdict which ruled that the City Council had victimised and racially discriminated against a black employee who was unfairly dismissed.

The leader of Brum's opposition party wrote to colleagues a fortnight ago warning that the verdict in favour of Paul Samuels - who used to work in the local authority's legal services department - could send out an unwelcome signal to other disgruntled staff.

Samuels was held to have been victimised because even though he was off work with stress, a council disciplinary hearing was heard in his absence.

Bore says: “It sends out a strong negative message to all staff facing dismissal that they can frustrate management action by staying off work on indefinite sick leave. This case will not, therefore, strengthen the Council's managerial position over dismissal cases.”

Bore points out that the Tribunal arrived at its verdict, in part at least because of technical and procedural failures on the Council's part and goes on to “request that members are careful to consider the facts before coming to any inappropriate conclusions of racial (or other) discrimination in the Council.”

He adds: “Members should certainly not, for example, act on or spread any erroneous or misleading information before first checking out the same with the Chief Legal Officer or myself.”

When the Stirrer caught up with Bore, he said “It is not about gagging anyone. There's a process which deal with this, and it's wrong for councillors to get involved until they are resolved, whichever way they go.

“I firmly believe we have to leave it to the processes that have been put in place.”

Tocheck the original story click here.

For Birmingham Councils' response click here.