Mother of Miss Scotland contestant claims unfair dismissal

Published on Friday 11 December 2009 21:42

THE mum of a Miss Scotland finalist claims she was unfairly sacked after trying to drum up support for her daughter.

Moira Mathieson, 46, put up posters and encouraged customers to vote for her daughter Diane in the Saltcoats chemists where she worked.

Mrs Mathieson, of Welsh Place, Saltcoats, claims that bosses at Gallagher Health Care sacked her shortly afterwards because she did not ask for their permission.

The shop assistant was giving evidence at an employment tribunal in Glasgow where she has raised an action for unfair dismissal against the chemists, based at Hamilton Street and Dockhead Street.

She told the tribunal that Diane, who she said was a popular figure in Saltcoats, had made it to the final ten in the Miss Scotland competition. She put up a poster in the shop to encourage support for her.

Mrs Mathieson, whose daughter went on to win third place in the competition, explained that she was then off work for three days, and when she returned the poster had been taken down.

She asked where it had gone and was told that one of her bosses, Janice Gallagher, had taken it down.

She said: "I was hurt and upset by this, because Janice and her husband Jim have always been very supportive of Diane, and just the other week there was a poster up for Janice doing a charity trek.

"After that my manager stood behind me and tutted when a customer asked me about my daughter.

"Then at the end of the day I was in the back shop at closing time when Jim Gallagher came into the shop and said that he wanted a chat.

"He said, 'What did you think you were doing?' and I said, 'What about?'.

"He said, 'I'm the director of five pharmacies, and you have no right to use my premises to promote your daughter in a competition'.

"The meeting only lasted about ten or 15 minutes and at the end of it he told me I was dismissed."

The tribunal earlier heard from Mr Gallagher who claimed that staff had reported that Mrs Mathieson swore when she found out that the poster had been taken down.

The tribunal continues.