Two senior credit union executives who were dismissed last year have claimed before the High Court that they were subjected to a campaign of "intimidation, harassment and bullying".
Mr Alec Good of Donnybrook, Douglas, Cork, the former manager of Gurranebraher Credit Union, Cork, and his former deputy, Ms Patricia O'Neill, Presentation Road, Gurranebraher, have brought a claim for damages and are seeking orders that the purported termination of their employment in December last year was invalid.
The Gurranebraher branch has a turnover of about €150 million a year. The action is against the credit union.
Mr Justice Kearns was told today the chairman of the credit union branch, Mr Con O'Leary, St Rita's Avenue, Cork city is not being sued as a co-defendant in the action but would be called to give evidence as a witness.
Opening the action, Mr James O'Reilly SC, for Mr Good, said his client had been with the branch for some 30 years. The credit union had claimed it was entitled to summarily dismiss Mr Good for "grave misconduct." Mr Good would argue that his contract of employment prohibited such a course of action.
If the court rejected that argument then it would be contended the description and nature of the complaints made against Mr Good as described in an investigator's report did not reach the standard of "grave misconduct".
Such conduct was defined on the basis that a manager might be summarily suspended without warning but there was no express provision dealing with summary dismissal.
Mr Good in his statement of claim alleges the board attempted to undermine his position in June 2002. He also claims Mr O'Leary engineered, led and orchestrated a campaign of intimidation and harassment against him and against management staff.
He is claiming damages and also wants an order stating the purported termination of his employment was invalid.