Tribunal told of fury vented by Inverness Leisure boss

Job appeal hears he was ‘apoplectic’ at prospect of employee’s return

By jonny muir

Published:

The manager of Inverness Leisure was said to be apoplectic at the prospect of an employee who raised a grievance against him returning to work, a tribunal heard yesterday.

After being told about James Martin’s reaction, Ruth Matthews, a former head of support services at the gym and swimming pool complex in Bught Lane, said she was convinced he was “trying to get rid of her”.

Miss Matthews is claiming unfair constructive dismissal, alleging that she was forced to resign in November 2008.

On the fourth day of her tribunal in Inverness yesterday, the hearing was told that Mr Martin reacted with “apoplexy” when Bruce Crabtree, a GMB union official, suggested to him that efforts should be made to help Miss Matthews return to work.

Mr Crabtree then told Miss Matthews about Mr Martin’s reaction.

Asked by employment judge Flora Carmichael for her response to Mr Martin’s outburst, Miss Matthews said: “When the union came back with that statement, I knew there was no way he wanted me to go back.”

Ms Carmichael asked: “Would you have gone back?”

Miss Matthews, who was 60 when she resigned, said: “Absolutely”, but admitted there would have been “conditions”.

She added: “On reflection, I would never have been forgiven for what I had done, highlighting a whole load of things to the trustees.

“That was not acceptable to Mr Martin.”

Miss Matthews, who lives at Feddon Hill, Fortrose, was accused of bullying a colleague, Carol-Ann Murcar, during meetings in December 2007, and was suspended in February last year.

She has made a string of allegations against Inverness Leisure, including overstaffing, staff being overpaid, instances of favouritism and that one employee took 27 cigarette breaks in a single shift.

Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Martin said he and Miss Matthews had a “very positive” working relationship before 2007.

However, after he held her responsible for an administration error later that year, Miss Matthews allegedly told Craig Steedman, the operations manager, that she was compiling a “black box” against the centre and Mr Martin.

Miss Matthews claimed on Monday that overstaffing in 2007 cost the centre, which receives £1million from Highland Council, £20,000.

That figure was disputed yesterday by Mr Martin, who said the centre was appropriately staffed.

He said that budgets were closely monitored because the centre had faced several “challenging” financial years.

The tribunal, before employment judge Ms Carmichael, will continue today.