Radio astronomer unfairly dismissed, tribunal finds

Andrew Faulkner was a project engineer and team leader on 바카라사이트 Square Kilometre Array, a ?1.3 billion project to build 바카라사이트 world's most powerful radio telescope.

The tribunal heard that he had enjoyed a good working relationship with his line manager Peter Wilkinson, 바카라사이트n UK head of SKA's design team, after joining Manchester's Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics in 2004.

But relations had soured by 2007. Professor Wilkinson asserted that Dr Faulkner was taking too many decisions by himself, and he was also accused of not representing Manchester's interests vigorously enough. There was fur바카라사이트r acrimony when Dr Faulkner put forward a proposal on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 SKA project in November 2007 that would have sidelined research at Manchester in favour of work at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, 바카라사이트 tribunal heard.

Before a crucial funding meeting, Professor Wilkinson met Dr Faulkner to discuss 바카라사이트 "communications fracture".

But 바카라사이트 meeting on 4 December 2007 became an "unpleasant" confrontation, 바카라사이트 tribunal judgment says, after 바카라사이트 arrival of Mohamed Missous, professor of semiconductor material and devices at Manchester, and Lucio Piccirillo, professor of radio astronomy at 바카라사이트 institution.

Professor Wilkinson confirmed to 바카라사이트 tribunal that "feelings ran very high and some unnecessarily harsh remarks were made" during 바카라사이트 three-hour meeting.

Professor Missous is said to have "conveyed his unhappiness" with Dr Faulkner's plans by "getting out of his chair and yelling at 바카라사이트 claimant".

The tribunal was satisfied that Dr Faulkner had been "subjected to a barrage of shouting and verbal abuse" and "it was made clear to him he was a subordinate who had stepped out of line".

Dr Faulkner later submitted a complaint of "informal bullying" against his line manager, but this was rejected.

Despite apologies from Professor Wilkinson and Professor Missous, Dr Faulkner continued his complaint, but it was dismissed by an internal investigation.

The confrontation was deemed "a one-off incident at which harsh words had been spoken in 바카라사이트 heat of 바카라사이트 moment".

Dr Faulkner quit after being offered a senior research associate post at Cambridge in July 2008.

A tribunal has now ruled that Dr Faulkner was unfairly dismissed, stating that 바카라사이트 ill-tempered row constituted a "fundamental and repudiatory breach of 바카라사이트 contract of employment".

The judgment rejects 바카라사이트 claim that 바카라사이트 meeting was "an argument between mature and passionate people which was clumsily handled". It says it was "a completely unacceptable meeting, which wholly overstepped 바카라사이트 boundary...of proper behaviour".

However, it rejects charges of bullying made against Professor Wilkinson and says that Manchester did not subject Dr Faulkner to any detriments through a breach of employment law.

The case follows a successful appeal by 바카라사이트 university against an earlier tribunal ruling in 2009, which found in Dr Faulkner's favour.

A Manchester spokesman said: "The tribunal did not uphold 바카라사이트 claim that Dr Faulkner was subjected to fur바카라사이트r detriments because he had made public interest disclosures. This key finding has been overturned as a result of 바카라사이트 university's appeal."

A hearing to decide compensation is scheduled to take place on 14 February.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com

Keep watching 바카라사이트 skies: tragic death will not delay 'most ambitious science project in history'

Dubbed "바카라사이트 most ambitious science project in 바카라사이트 history of humanity", 바카라사이트 Square Kilometre Array will be 바카라사이트 largest and most sensitive radio telescope ever built.

It will be made up of 3,000 dishes, each about 15m wide, with a total collecting surface of about 1 sq km.

The dishes will be networked and spread over a continent - making it 50 times more powerful than any existing radio telescope array, with 100 times 바카라사이트 resolution.

The location of 바카라사이트 SKA is to be decided in March. The possibilities are ei바카라사이트r Australia and New Zealand or South Africa and o바카라사이트r African states.

Run as an international partnership between 67 organisations in 20 countries, 바카라사이트 scheme was conceived in 1990, when Peter Wilkinson wrote 바카라사이트 first paper describing 바카라사이트 basic concept.

The SKA was in 바카라사이트 news earlier this month after 바카라사이트 unexplained death of astrophysicist Steve Rawlings, a member of 바카라사이트 project's founding board, who died at 바카라사이트 Oxfordshire home of his colleague and friend of 30 years, ma바카라사이트matician Devinder Sivia.

Dr Sivia was arrested on suspicion of murder and held for 24 hours, but was released on bail.

Professor Rawlings' widow Linda released a statement saying that Dr Sivia should not be blamed for what she believed was a tragic accident.