Michael Martin pursued unfair dismissal claim after cocaine test

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Michael Martin pursued an unfair dismissal claim over his dismissal after a workplace cocaine test, at the Workplace Relations Commission hearing reported on 4 August 2023. The test was conducted at Dublin Port on 10 January 2022.

Martin said his test showed he had failed and argued that the company had not given him enough support after a fatal accident at the port in 2019. He accepted that he had received two counselling sessions.

The company said random drug testing had been carried out because the work was safety critical. Its operations manager said there were no vacancies for a suggested checker role when the matter was considered at appeal stage.

The company also argued that Martin filed his complaint outside the usual six-month time limit, while Martin said he had not known about the deadline. The adjudicating officer closed the hearing to consider the decision.