A Transport for London (TfL) Project Engineer has been told she can go ahead with legal claims for sex and race discrimination, equal pay and victimisation against her employers.
Ms Onome Uglor, who is of Uganda origin, complained she had not been treated as favourably as her male colleagues and that she had been demoted at one stage. She sought approval to go ahead with her claims at a London South Employment Tribunal preliminary hearing.
TFL employs 20,000 employees and in December 2013 carried out a widespread restructuring programme affecting 6,500 workers.
Ms Uglor, who joined the organisation in April 2003 and is still employed by the firm, complained she was displaced from her substantive role as a result of the re-organisation.
She also complained that she was demoted at one stage and is treated less favourably than her male colleagues – prompting her sex and race discrimination claim. She also alleged that she could not take out a grievance against her employers and went on sick leave on two occasions.
Tribunal Judge Elliott decided that some of Ms Uglor legal claims had not been registered with the Tribunal within the regulatory time scale and that others were being rejected because they had no real prospects of success.
But the judge agreed that Ms Uglor could go ahead with a legal claim for victimisation based on the allegations that she had been told she could not make a grievance hearing against the firm and because of an alleged failure to promote her.
Judge Elliott also decided that a full tribunal hearing could be held into her claim for equal pay and claims for sex and race discrimination.
The full hearing is to take place at a later date.
