A woman who was told her miscarriage was no different to tonsillitis has won nearly £13,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal.

Machine operator Christine Salter, of Odsal, quit her job in disgust after arguing bosses at Wrapid Packaging Systems Ltd did not investigate her claims of persistent intimidation properly.

Now, after a battle lasting almost two years, the 34-year-old has finally received compensation from her former employers.

In January last year an employment tribunal agreed she had been unfairly dismissed because the Bradford-based company had not followed its own grievance procedures properly.

The tribunal in Leeds heard that Ms Salter had made several allegations of sex discrimination and intimidation.

At one stage, Wrapid's production manager Jeff Clark had said there was no difference between her having a miscarriage and tonsillitis.

She also told the tribunal that she had missed out on a Christmas bonus because she had taken a week off work - though that time off had been after the miscarriage. The bonus was later paid to her.

In its conclusions, the tribunal decision report said: "The tribunal has concluded that the denial of the bonus was made on the basis of a straightforward calculation of time off work and without reference to the applicant's miscarriage. As to the remarks regarding there being no difference between the applicant's miscarriage and tonsillitis, the tribunal finds that Mr Clark did say these words."

The tribunal found that the allegations had not been investigated properly and the company had not followed its own grievance procedures carefully enough, but that her complaints of sex discrimination had been made too late for the tribunal to deal with under the Sex Discrimination Act.

In April 2000 the company was ordered to pay Ms Salter £12,800 for unfair dismissal, but decided to fight the decision and took the case to a preliminary appeal in London, which it lost.

Now, 21 months after leaving her job of 14 years, she has mixed feelings about finally receiving the money.

She said: "It has been a horrendous process. We've shelled out £5,000 in legal costs, so I've ended up with around £7,500, which doesn't make up for what I've been through. When he compared my loss to someone having tonsillitis I just couldn't believe it. It left me in tears."

She said the remark was especially painful as she had been receiving fertility treatment at the time - something she had informed her employers about.

But a month after leaving the firm her fortunes changed and she naturally conceived a boy, Reece, now 12 months old, to the delight of her partner of 13 years Andrew Orme.

Mr Orme, 33, who spoke at the tribunal, said today: "There was a satisfaction to be gained from taking Wrapid on and winning, but the protracted time it's taken to get the cash has been so frustrating.

"Christine hasn't really ended up with much. It's an unfortunate situation that there are no costs payments attached to employment tribunals."

The company, based in Thorn-ton Road, declined to comment.

e-mail: jim.jack @bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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