Dundee MP Chris Law has been accused of failing to protect a city councillor from bullies who allegedly harassed and physically and emotionally abused her while she worked in the SNP offices.
Roisin Smith, who is deputy convener of Dundee City Council’s children and families services, claims she was constructively dismissed by the party while employed as a case worker.
The 46-year-old says she was subjected to “daily” verbal, physical and emotional abuse by two other staff members and was undermined and disrespected by Mr Law.
Ms Smith has lodged a claim for constructive dismissal with the Employment Tribunal offices in Glasgow.
Her grievance runs to almost 20 pages of allegations spanning the period September 2015 to June 2018.
Mr Law denies the allegations and insists they were “independently investigated” when they were put to him and were not upheld.
One of the staff members accused is Mike Strachan, an SNP charity activist and Yes campaigner and the partner of Dundee City East SNP MSP Shona Robiso.
The other is Tom Thomson, an SNP parliamentary assistant.
Ms Smith alleges that Mr Law was negligent in his duty of care to her health and wellbeing at work and took no action to address the issues she raised.
She claims he breached her confidentiality by revealing the reasons for her being signed off work with an illness and asked at one point if she would be working from home after she informed him her GP had signed her off for two weeks.
She claims the lack of support left her feeling “completely alone, disrespected, belittled, demeaned and unvalued,” and that Mr Law “protected Mike despite all my concerns about his behaviour, work ethic and lack of professionalism.”
She also claims harassment by the two staff members, saying the constant “bad language, conversation and inappropriate comments” caused her “discomfort and embarrassment.”
Ms Smith, who supports her elderly parents and cares for her disabled son, says she is unsure of her ability to recover following her treatment and claims a culture of bullying and harassment, abusive and demeaning behaviour and disrespect for lines of management led to a breakdown in trust with her employer.
No date has yet been set for the tribunal hearing.
A spokesperson for Chris Law MP said: “Chris denies all the allegations. These were investigated independently and none of the allegations were upheld. No claim has been received from the Employment Tribunal.”
