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Published: 25 March, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

AN experienced consultant at a global construction company has told an employment tribunal that she was forced to work in a “degrading, humiliating and hostile” environment because she is a black woman.

Amy Betts-Priddy, of Lowfield Road, West Hampstead, claims she was subjected to racial and sexual harassment by her bosses at consultancy firm Turner & Townsend.  

Ms Betts-Priddy, originally from Sierra Leone in West Africa, claimed they had “unacceptable and racist” views. 

She worked in Turner & Townsend’s contracts services department for nearly four years. But after being made redundant last May, she brought a case for unfair dismissal, racial discrimination and sex discrimination against the company and her bosses, Stuart Hardy and John Boultwood. 

An eight-day tribunal began at Victory House in Holborn on Monday.

Ms Betts-Priddy claimed she was unfairly selected for redundancy. She told the tribunal panel that Mr Hardy had offended her with statements about Africa. 

“On one occasion Stuart blurted out: ‘I hate Africa.’ I was shocked, hurt and humiliated,” she said. “I believe this was a deliberate attempt to offend me. A couple of days later he tried to jus­tify his racist remark by saying that the only images of Africa he had seen growing up were ones of starving children.”

Ms Betts-Priddy told the hearing Mr Hardy asked why she wasn’t “married off at home,” and constantly treated her differently from her white male colleagues. 

The tribunal heard how she was forced to work without a desk and was given additional administrative duties on top of her workload.

Ms Betts-Priddy was later selected as one of five staff being considered for redun­dancy – four were women and all five were from ethnic minorities. During a redundancy selection procedure, Ms Betts-Priddy received the lowest score, despite having more experience than her colleagues. In the skills and experience section she was graded the same as a woman who had been working as a consultant for just five months after being promoted from PA level. 

“It was no surprise that as a black female I was the one to score the lowest mark,” she told the hearing. The company described Ms Betts-Priddy as someone who did not “grasp opportunity,” and who did not “stick out as someone that would make it.” She told the hearing she was repeatedly denied opportunities to develop her skills. 

Giving evidence to the tribunal, Michael Tate, Turner & Townsend’s HR manager, said the company had “no other option” but to make staff redundant in response to the worsening economic climate. He said they followed a “fair,” “consistent” and “reasonable” procedure, adding: “I believe people were fairly selected for redundancy.”

However, he conceded under cross examination that staff were notified that they were “at risk” of redundancy just one week before the company planned to announce redundancies – leaving just four days for consultation.

And the panel heard that shortly after the redundancies were announced, two new members of staff were recruited to the contract services department – a director on a salary of £90,000 and also a senior consultant.

Mr Hardy and Mr Boultwood, who deny allegations of discrimination, are scheduled to give evidence to the hearing today (Thursday) and on Monday. 

The tribunal continues.