UNION’S BREXIT WITCH-HUNT
Official fired for backing Farage
A UNION official sacked after speaking at a pro-Brexit rally has won a claim for unfair dismissal after a tribunal agreed he was a witch-hunt victim.
Paul Embery was accused of undermining the Fire Brigades Union by making a speech alongside Nigel Farage at a Leave Means Leave rally in London in 2019.
But he has now successfully sued the FBU. A tribunal in Norwich ruled in Mr Embery’s favour, arguing that it would ‘appear from the start of the investigation process that there was an agenda to have the claimant removed’.
The judgment, extracts of which Mr Embery posted online, continued: ‘The investigation... looked like no more than a witch-hunt.’ Mr Embery, the former London regional secretary of the FBU, was removed from the £7,000-a-year role in March 2019. He been an active member of the FBU for more than 20 years.
Hours before his speech, an FBU official told him that to speak alongside Mr Farage would be a breach of union rules.
Thirteen days later, he was told he was being investigated over six allegations. Four complaints were upheld, with one resulting in a two-year ban on standing for office in the union. The FBU insisted he was not an employee, and could not be sacked.
After the ruling, Mr Embery said: ‘While I am glad that after two years justice has finally been served, I take no pleasure in the outcome.’ It was unclear what, if any, compensation he was likely to receive. An FBU spokesman said: ‘We are assessing our options for next steps.’