Labour abstentions on Tory Davani motion

Cllrs Duffy, Long, Crane, Eniola and Dixon abstained tonight on the Brent Conservative Motion (see posting below) on the Davani racial discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal case.

Moving the motion Cllr Warren said that Cara Davani should have been subject to disciplinary action rather than walk off with £157,610.   Residents would have backed the Council if, after the Employment Tribunal judgment, they had told her to 'go whistle' and taken on any resuting action.

Deputy Council leader Cllr Margaret McLennan, stating that this was part of her Cabinet brief, said that the Council had taken legal advice on the matter.  Legal advice had been that if the Council took discplinary action Davani could have claimed constructive dismissal and was likely to have been successful.  The settlement was in line with other redundancy payments and her contractual entitlement as a salaried employee of the Council.

McLennan went on to claim that  Cllr Pavey had undertaken a thorough review of HR and the result was that the Council had received an award for its Human Resources achievements.

The Council had made numerous press statements stating that the Council would not tolerate such behaviour and its position was clear and well known.