Race hate activist is still barred from work

13 April 2012

A black activist has won a £5,000 payout from a London council after exposing racism within its services.

But Lambeth council is refusing to follow a tribunal ruling and reinstate Alex Owolade - prompting Mayor Ken Livingstone to intervene. The case has become a touchstone for race relations in the borough, where four in 10 are from an ethnic minority.

Mr Owolade, 40, led a campaign to expose racism within the department that provided a 24-hour alarm service for the disabled and elderly.

A prominent activist against deaths of black people in police custody, he was sacked for gross misconduct in November 2001 for allegedly abusing a council manager.

Last year a tribunal found he was unfairly dismissed and victimised because of his campaign and union membership. This sparked a public inquiry that unearthed racist bullying, victimisation, sexual harassment and unprofessional conduct. It praised Mr

Owolade's persistence in highlighting racial abuse but strongly criticised his campaigning tactics of making personal attacks on managers.

Now the tribunal has reconvened to set compensation for Mr Owalade. He has been awarded £5,000 plus back pay, and Lambeth has been ordered to give him his old job back by October.

But the borough claims that would be "impracticable" because of his personal attacks on management.

Mr Livingstone said he was "deeply concerned".

He said: "Mr Owolade ought to be reinstated. If the council is serious about ending the racism documented in both the employment tribunal decision and the findings of the 2003 public inquiry, nothing short of his reinstatement will do."

Mr Owolade, who chairs the Movement for Justice civil rights group, said he was sacked for defending junior black staff from racism and bullying. He said: "Management are still refusing to reinstate me.

"They say it's not practical because I was critical of named senior managers in the public inquiry, but the council leader gave a written assurance that none of the evidence was going to be used against anyone.

"All my line managers have written to the tribunal saying they would welcome me." He said the council would simply face an extra £5,000 fine if it refused to reinstate him - money that would come from taxpayers. In its finding, the tribunal noted how two council managers were driven out after verbal attacks from Mr Owolade and his supporters.

A statement from Lambeth said: "The campaign which Mr Owolade and his supporters have waged has engendered such antagonism and he has made so many personal verbal attacks on staff that the relationship of trust and confidence no longer exists and could no longer exist."

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