Compensation of €35,000 to a former employee of the British High Commission, awarded by the Industrial Tribunal for unfair dismissal, has been confirmed on appeal.
Glynis Valerie Pace had been engaged as a personal assistant to the Senior Commercial Officer in the High Commission in 1999.
In February 2008 she was told that her employment was being terminated the following May for reasons of redundancy.
Ms Pace claimed that the reasons given for the termination were not justified as this was not a real case of redundancy.
She argued that the High Commission had breached her contract of employment and that she was entitled to compensation.
The High Commission rebutted her arguments, saying it had been undergoing a restructuring process in all its departments. It had been decided that the commercial section was to be closed down and Ms Pace’s position as commercial assistant would be made redundant.
The Industrial Tribunal had found that while other employees had also been made redundant, they had received compensation roughly equivalent to two years’ salary. Ms Pace had been discriminated against as she had not been given any compensation.
While no evidence had been produced to show that Ms Pace had not been genuinely dismissed for reasons of redundancy, it had been proven that she had been discriminated against in her dismissal.
In yesterday’s judgment, Madam Justice Edwina Grima confirmed the tribunal’s award in its entirety.