Padraig Cunningham awarded €13,400 for unfair dismissal

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

Padraig Cunningham was awarded €13,400 for unfair dismissal by the Workplace Relations Commission in a decision dated 7 June 2022.

The decision lists hearings on 17 June 2021 and 7 March 2022. Cunningham had worked for Pat the Baker Unlimited Company for 24 years when he was dismissed after taking waste products from its premises.

Cunningham said he believed he had permission to remove the material and considered it unsuitable for animal feed. The adjudication officer found staff statements indicated the practice was known within the organisation.

The decision cited no record that Cunningham received the 2020 waste policy or related training, and found flaws in the dismissal and appeal procedures. The award covered 21 weeks of financial loss before he found other work.