Unison activist Karen Reissmann faces unfair dismissal tribunal

Karen Reissmann, the community psychiatric nurse allegedly sacked for speaking out over service cuts and privatisation, will bring a claim of unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal this Monday (1 September).

Reissmann, who is also a Unison activist, was suspended by Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust in June 2007 and then sacked last November for gross misconduct. Her suspension and dismissal led to a series of strikes at the trust and campaigners have taken her case to parliament. So far 64 MPs have signed an early day motion calling for her reinstatement.

Colleagues, service users and union activists will stage a demonstration in support of Reissmann on the day of the tribunal, which will take place in Manchester. Unison branch secretary Caroline Bedale said: “We want NHS trade unionists to be able to speak out when they have concerns about the impact of the private and voluntary sectors taking over the provision of health services.”

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