Siptu official felt 'betrayed' after making protected disclosures

There were outbursts at the Workplace Relations Commission hearing. Picture: Eamonn Farrell

During a tense hearing in the Workplace Relations Commission in Waterford, a senior Siptu official said she felt “betrayed” by senior management for raising concerns.

Ger Malone, who has worked for Siptu for more than 30 years, was due to give evidence against the trade union, until the case was adjourned just before lunchtime.

Divisional organiser for Siptu Karen O'Loughlin argued that they were “surprised with information” before the commission and were not in a position to proceed as a result.

There were outbursts in the room as both sides argued against one another until adjudicator Marie Flynn said she accepted that the respondents were not prepared because of new information.

The case centres on claims made by Ms Malone, who alleges she was penalised by the trade union for raising what she believes was wrongdoing under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.

Ms Malone said she wanted to be sworn in to give evidence on 16 protected disclosures and 29 acts of alleged penalisation by management.

“Everything I believed in came crashing down," she said at the hearing, claiming that she was “union bashed” for raising alleged wrongdoing.

Ms Malone said she was left “traumatised” and “absolutely shattered”.

“I found myself in exceptional circumstances particularly after I didn’t succeed in securing the position of chairman, which I had held for nine years," she said.

It was like somebody pulled my soul out of me. I had a huge sense of loss. I found myself anxious going through the motions of just trying to figure out how this could happen. I felt betrayed and distraught.

Ms Malone was a volunteer shop steward at the Ray-Ban factory in Waterford before becoming full time in 2002 with the union.

Karen O’Loughlin for Siptu said: “I perfectly understand that the complainant was very upset by the loss of that election. But I’m not sure she had nowhere to go. It’s not in her contract that she couldn’t take independent advice. That’s in nobody’s contract.

"It’s not appropriate to give an extension because someone was feeling upset. There needs to be higher bar than that. 

These are extremely serious allegations and we would like to have the full picture that is going to be laid before us.

Ms Malone's representative Anne Flynn said they were ready to proceed with the case and that the union had “ample opportunity” to prepare for the hearing.

The opening day was adjourned.

The adjudicating officer said: "The respondents say they are not prepared because they were not on notice, and I am accepting that."

The case has been adjourned until June 26 to allow time for further submissions on the requested extension and response.