A dispute between Kensington & Chelsea LBC and two senior former employees that ended in an employment tribunal has continued to rumble.
Although the council was largely vindicated, it has criticised the tribunal judgement for claiming its Grenfell finance team became ‘dysfunctional’.
The tribunal did uphold a number of sexual harassment claims and found the council in breach of the Equality Act but months after its judgement a settlement has yet to be agreed.
Tribunal judges had heard the relationship between the two most senior members of the Grenfell finance team had broken down amid claims of sexual harassment, a ‘climate of fear,’ use of foul language and laziness. They were told that Francis Austin, who was head of Finance for Grenfell at Kensington & Chelsea, attended one virtual meeting in a bathrobe.
The tribunal concluded Mr Austin and programme manager Monika Newton ‘planned what was, in effect, a coup’.
A council spokesperson said: ‘The issues raised during the tribunal do not reflect the work of the Grenfell finance team, which has performed efficiently and effectively to complete the financial statements work and provide support to council services.’
However, the council said permanent financial management officers would carry out the work previously done by the Grenfell finance team.
