News

Union leaders in Cardiff have angrily attacked the council's decision to reject an appeal against dismissal by senior social worker, Charles Faber.

His sacking could now lead to strike action. Unison has backed Faber since his suspension last year, just hours after he appeared on a TV documentary where he voiced his concerns that a child might die unless services for children in Cardiff were improved.

Cardiff council has always maintained that Faber was suspended because of concerns over financial management, but union leaders say that the decision to uphold the dismissal makes a mockery of the council's whistle-blowing policy.

Peter King, Cardiff Unison branch secretary, said: "This sacking had nothing to do with Charles's management, and everything to do with him exposing the inherent weaknesses in the authority's running of children's services. The fact that Charles was suspended from his post a matter of hours after bravely relaying his concerns on TV - says it all."

Earlier this week, union members voted to take industrial action in support of Faber who had led the council's emergency duty team for the past twenty years and who has been a social worker since 1976.

"This was not about me, but about the issue of whistle-blowing," he said adding that he would be prepared do the same thing again.

The council's Unison branch is holding an emergency meeting to discuss what action to take.