Perth College UHI bosses accused of corruption

TRIBUNAL: Senior staff members found to have conspired in unfair dismissal

Claims of corruption at the heart of Perth College UHI have seen senior managers heavily criticised and a former employee awarded a £34,000 pay-off for wrongful dismissal.

A tribunal found staff, including the principal and vice-principal, had conspired to engineer the sacking of colleague Gerard McIver.

Mr McIver, an aviation expert, had been part of the team at Air Service Training but was dismissed after he and colleagues attempted a buy-out of part of the struggling business. He did so initially with the backing of university bosses who then turned on him and, according to Judge Ian McFatridge, used it as “a useful pretext for getting rid of the claimant and his colleagues”.

Perth College UHI is considering its response to the judgment.

A damning employment tribunal judgment has questioned the honesty of senior staff at Perth College UHI.

Former principal Margaret Munckton and current vice-principal Susan Bald were described by a judge as “poor witnesses” who dodged questions as they attacked the character of former colleague Gerard McIver.

Their decision to charge him with “gross misconduct” and dismiss him from his post left the married father-oftwo unemployed and facing a two-year fight to clear his name.

He has finally done so following the publication of a damning report into the conduct of the pair and other senior figures at the university, plus the award of a £34,000 payout for unfair dismissal.

Mr McIver was part of the team at Air Service Training – run by the university – but was dismissed after he and colleagues attempted a buyout of its struggling air training operation.

He initially had his employers’ support but the tribunal heard they then turned on him, using spurious claims about the proposed buyout as “a pretext for his sacking”.

The tribunal suggested Ms Munckton, Ms Bald and AST chief executive Peter Farrow had been part of a tightly-knit group whose agenda was the sacking of Mr McIver’s team.

Judge Ian McFatridge said the accusations of gross misconduct were clearly baseless and the management team knew they had no genuine grounds for dismissal.

He was highly critical of the evidence offered by all three, describing them as “evasive” and questioning the honesty of some of their answers.

Mr McIver, who lives in Crieff, said it has been a very tough two years for his family.

“Justice has finally been done,” he said. “I have been fighting to prove that I was not guilty of the charges these three people levelled against me.

“It has been hugely stressful. I have known all this time that I did nothing wrong.”

Ryan Russell, from employment lawyers Muir Myles Laverty, fought the case on behalf of Mr McIver and said: “The dismissal was completely engineered and was unanimously considered to be unfair.

“I am simply delighted for my client that the truth came out in the end.”

Perth College UHI said it was “very disappointed at the tribunal outcome” and was now “considering its response”.

The university has been given 14 days to pay but has the right of appeal.

Ms Munckton retired from her role at the end of term. Ms Bald is to step down in August. Peter Farrow remains in post.

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. Former Perth College UHI principal Margaret Munckton was one of three people criticised by Judge Ian McFatridge.