The women's officer of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union has been awarded £10,000 compensation for sexual discrimination and victimisation. An industrial tribunal also ruled that the ATGWU must display a statement about its decision in its headquarters in Belfast.
Ms Fiona Marshall applied for the post of industrial officer three years ago. She did not get the job and the tribunal found she suffered unlawful discrimination in the selection process.
It reached this conclusion because the union's then regional secretary, Mr John Freeman, had "given knowledge to his preferred candidates so that he could give them a head start". The tribunal said this practice was "wholly unacceptable as any experienced trade union official should know".
It also ruled that after Ms Marshall initiated her sexual discrimination case, she suffered victimisation in which Mr Freeman subjected her to "embarrassing treatment because he knew she had brought proceedings against the union".