George Galloway settles secretary’s claim on email sacking

GEORGE Galloway has made a settlement with his former Parliamentary secretary who claimed he pressured her to return to work while she was sick and summarily sacked her by email. The controversial East London MP was sued by Yasmin Ataullah for unfair dismissal after she had previously said she felt blessed to work for such “a special man.”

GEORGE Galloway has made a settlement with his former Parliamentary secretary who claimed he pressured her to return to work while she was sick and summarily sacked her by email.

The controversial East London Respect MP was sued by Yasmin Ataullah for unfair dismissal after she had previously said she felt blessed “to work for such a special man.”

But she alleged that he threatened to ask her to resign for poor performance, make her redundant or sack her for gross misconduct if she did not work full-time rather than part-time while she was recovering from a back injury.

Mr Galloway, after firing her from her �27,500-a-year post in August last year, allegedly ignored protests from her and her union representative and insisted on hearing her appeal himself before rejecting it.

The 54-year-old MP for Bethnal Green & Bow denied unfairly dismissing her and insisted she was rightly fired after warnings about her attitude and attendance.

Her case against him was due to be heard at the Central London employment tribunal, but both sides settled on the eve of the hearing after an ACAS arbitration.

Miss Ataullah accompanied Mr Galloway on speaking tours worldwide. She said of her job in a TV interview a year ago while the pair were in New Zealand: “I very much fell into the position and it is a real blessing to be able to work for such a special man who fights for justice and truth so passionately.”