Worker wins safety award then gets P45
The GMB general union has expressed anger over the treatment handed out to a member and worker at the homewares and households goods chain Wilko.
Teresa Farmer won a prestigious national award for health and safety and picked up her award at TUC’s 150th congress in Manchester.
She was commended for her "astounding" work improving conditions at a Wilko store in Birmingham.
When her manager blocked her moves to make the store safer for workers she escalated her complaints, which included lone-working, providing first aid boxes and safely disposing of bodily fluids, and took them to regional management who ruled in her favour.
Yet despite her success — she was sacked by the store following an argument with a supervisor.
The GMB says she was dismissed because of her union activities and it is taking her case to appeal.
Farmer said: “I’ve never won anything before in my life and to win the award for health and safety is a very proud moment for me.
“I’m a mum with four grown up kids so common sense is a great big part of health and safety awareness and I just knew that things were missing that should have been there.
“But despite working hard to make conditions better for my colleagues, to find the company has sacked me is incredibly upsetting.”