Karen Reissmann tribunal adjourned

The employment tribunal of Unison activist Karen Reissmann has been adjourned.

Reissmann, who says she was unfairly sacked from her job at Manchester mental health and social care NHS Trust, rejected the trust’s offer to settle her claim last week.

Her tribunal was due to start today but could be postponed until December or March, a spokesman for Manchester employment tribunal said.  The trust sought the adjournment as one of their key witnesses was unable to attend until November.

But when the tribunal reconvenes Reissmann will have to do without the services of Unison which, she claimed, had withdrawn legal support because she rejected the trust’s settlement offer. A protest is being held today at Unison North West offices to call for the support to be reinstated.

Spoke to the press

Reissmann said the trust’s offer, last Friday, made “no admission of liability” for her sacking and did not include reinstatement.

Reissmann, a community psychiatric nurse, was suspended and then sacked last November for gross misconduct after speaking to the press about cuts and privatisation at the trust.

Her suspension and dismissal led to a series of strikes at the trust and campaigners have taken her case to parliament.

Reissmann said today: “I want to prove to a court that I was unfairly dismissed. That would protect me and would also be a reminder to all other NHS trusts that they cannot sack trade unionists for speaking out.”

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