The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) unfairly dismissed an employee who accused the organisation of being hypocritical over its refusal to recognise a trade union, an employment tribunal has found.
The social change organisation dismissed former head of policy and participation Ruth Hannan after she was quoted in The Observer accusing the RSA of “not living [its] values” because it refused to recognise the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which a significant amount of its workforce had joined.
The RSA had previously given the IWGB an award for unionising workers in the gig economy.
Hannan was dismissed by management a day after the article appeared, a week before she had been due to leave the organisation anyway, leaving her unable to say goodbye to her colleagues.
Trade union detriment
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The termination letter said she should leave the organisation immediately, and that she would no longer have access to work systems and premises. It said there were serious concerns about the comments published in the press.
Hannan had been active in trying to get the union recognised by the RSA, and brought a claim for detriment for engaging in trade union activity.
In a judgment delivered last month, which has only recently been published, Employment Judge Codd ruled that Hannan had been unfairly dismissed on grounds related to her trade union membership, and awarded her £6,959 in compensation.
Hannan said: “I feel a deep sense of relief at the ruling. Knowing that my reputation and my professionalism had been tarnished was incredibly painful. To be able to do this one small thing that will help other workers feel safer in their fight to have stronger rights in the workplace is worth the stress I’ve endured.”
IWGB members at the RSA recently staged their first strike in the RSA’s 270-year history after rejecting a £1,000 pay rise, which averages at 2.5% across the board.
The IWGB said in a statement: “Ruth’s legal victory has only strengthened our members’ resolve to win the ongoing pay dispute, and has given them confidence and energy to transform the RSA into an organisation that respects and values their work.”
The RSA said in a statement: “We respect, but are extremely disappointed, by the tribunal’s judgment given the facts of this case and we reserve our right to appeal it.
“We remain surprised that in such circumstances a legal claim such as this could even proceed. The individual in question was a member of the senior management team and had resigned with just three days of their notice period left to work. We asked them not to return to the office for the remaining three day period after they made various inaccurate and misleading statements to the national press. They were paid in full for the remaining three days’ notice.
“We have acted at all times in good faith and in the best interests of the RSA and the wellbeing of our staff.”
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