Connect Trade Union wins unfair dismissal case over Alan Douglas’s dismissal

The Workplace Relations Commission found Alan Douglas was not unfairly dismissed by Connect Trade Union after he refused a temporary work assignment in Dublin. The decision, dated 26 April 2022, found the union had substantial grounds for dismissing him. Douglas argued the move from his Limerick-based role was outside his contract. The union said the assignment supported a recruitment campaign in Dublin and that he repeatedly refused the instruction. The adjudication officer found the contract required Douglas to coordinate work across regions, making the temporary assignment part of his role and a reasonable instruction. The officer noted deficiencies in the disciplinary process, including invitation letters that did not specify the issue or warn that dismissal was possible, but found the process fair overall and the deficiencies insufficient to make the dismissal unfair.