Dome drama: The plot thickens

James Pearson, of Portland Road, Worthing and Marie Macbain, of Samphire Drive, Durrington, are claiming constructive dismissal and Lucy Western, formerly of Broadwater Road, unfair dismissal, against manager Belle Stennett.

Mrs Stennett denies claims she threatened and bullied staff, insisting she fostered a good working atmosphere.

Lucy Western, a part-time projectionist, claims she was sacked at a disciplinary meeting following a row with Mrs Stennett's son James, a supervisor, when she arrived for work 15 minutes late.

Miss Western claims she left the cinema in floods of tears 10 minutes into a 13-hour shift on June 1, after Mr Stennett told her off when she tried to explain she had spent the weekend in hospital with panic attacks.

But Mrs Stennett told the Brighton employment tribunal she was left "shocked and shaken" when Miss Western's partner verbally attacked her in a row over her son's

behaviour.

Mrs Stennett said director Colin Bradshaw was forced to take the meeting requested by Miss Western because the outburst left her too ill to attend.

Mr Bradshaw, of Marine Parade, Worthing, dismissed Miss Western's claims she was denied a legal witness at the meeting before being sacked.

He said: "Lucy was one of our longest-serving staff members. We were certainly not having a meeting to sack her. I said to her, 'What are we going to do?' She said she loved her job but she felt she had no option but to resign."

But when Tim Concannon, barrister for the claimants, said to Mr Bradshaw: "You went into that meeting knowing that she might be or could be sacked, if not then, (then) at a later date?" he replied: "Yes".

The tribunal heard how relations between Mr Pearson and Dome management deteriorated when Mrs Macbain, a supervisor, became embroiled in an argument with Mrs Stennett around Easter last year.

Mr Pearson, a fellow supervisor, who worked at the Dome for 18 months, was upset that Mrs Macbain had her work hours cut from 21 to five per week and soon after signed off work with stress.

He left an answer machine message on May 29, last year to say he wasn't coming in for a shift because "something had turned his stomach". He never worked there again.

Mr Pearson told the hearing: "It was seeing the ridiculous way Mrs Macbain was treated. I saw her walk away in tears. That, combined with other issues, compromised my position to such a degree I could no longer morally or physically continue."

Relations worsened on June 5, when a group of former employees, including all three claimants, held an "illegal" protest outside the Dome to complain about management.

Three days later, Mr Pearson sent a four-page letter to Mrs Stennett containing more than 40 complaints over staff bullying and "questionable" management procedures.

"Having received no response to the letter within seven days, I considered myself to be constructively dismissed.

"The staff were dedicated and hardworking, often performing duties over and beyond their job descriptions, often doing unpaid overtime. In no way did they deserve the behaviour of Mr and Mrs Stennett or Mr Bradshaw."

However, Mr Bradshaw defended the Dome's high staff turnover. "We get a lot of students and part-time workers because it suits them to work and then go off again."

The tribunal is due to return its verdicts before April 2.