Lesotho embassy attaché claims constructive dismissal

Senior diplomats at the Embassy of Lesotho in Dublin have been accused of constructively dismissing the embassy’s former trade and tourism attaché by trying to pressurise her into signing a document claiming she was incompetent.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin yesterday heard claims by Claire Corcoran that she felt she had no option but to resign from her €54,000 a year job as a result of the behaviour of the embassy’s first secretary, Nkhotha Machachamise, and counsellor, Phakiso Ralepoma.

Ms Corcoran, of Red Arches, The Coast, Baldoyle, Co Dublin, said she enjoyed her first three years of working at the embassy where she had acted as “right hand woman” to the then ambassador, Mannete Ramaili.

However, she claimed her work situation changed following the arrival of Mr Machachamise and Mr Ralepoma in the summer of 2009. Ms Corcoran said her work was no longer acknowledged and her suggestions were being ignored.

She was called to a meeting without any notice on Feb 16, 2010, in which both men alleged she was incompetent. Ms Corcoran said she found their tone and behaviour “unacceptable”.

She subsequently claimed she came under pressure to sign the minutes of the meeting which she argued “paid scant regard” to her work achievements. She also claimed Mr Machachamise accused her of insubordination over her refusal to sign the document, while Mr Ralepoma was “very aggressive and domineering”.

Ms Corcoran told the EAT that she believed the diplomats, including the ambassador, wanted her to sign the letter to back up their unsubstantiated claims about her work performance.

She faced a disciplinary hearing over claims by the embassy that her behaviour was disrespectful and “tantamount to gross subordination”.

Ms Corcoran said she wasn’t given a fair hearing as it was conducted by the ambassador and Mr Machachamise. It found that she was guilty of clear misconduct which provided reason for summary dismissal.

She refuted the findings that she had used offensive language and had breached confidentiality by telling her father she had been called to a performance appraisal at the embassy.

Ms Corcoran said she felt forced by the “unreasonable, intolerable behaviour by my former employers” to resign her job in June 2010 after she was given a zero mark in a performance appraisal.

The case was adjourned until a date in September.