Firefighter wins claim against Fire Brigades Union after suspension for pro-Brexit speech
A firefighter who sued the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for unfair dismissal over a pro-Brexit speech has announced he has won his claim.
Former FBU executive council member Paul Embery was suspended from his post for giving a speech at a Leave Means Leave rally in March 2019 in London.
Embery, now a columnist at Unherd, tweeted the news.
“I maintained all along that my sacking was politically-motivated. It is clear from its findings that the judge-led panel shared my views,” said Embery in a statement posted on his Twitter page.
In it he quotes the judgement: “The investigation…looked like no more than a witch-hunt… The ambit of the investigation, when looking at the facts was bizarre. The Tribunal had the feeling that it was pre-determined…”
An employment tribunal in Norwich ruled in Embery’s favour, judging “it would appear (…) there was an agenda to have the claimant removed”.
Back in February, the tribunal heard Embery’s witness statement in which he said the reasons for his dismissal were direct discrimination for his political views.
The FBU denied the allegations that his removal from office was unfair and discriminatory. The union said Embery breached their guidelines by talking alongside Nigel Farage and undermining the FBU in his speech, which he was warned about beforehand.