D Wednesday, September 30, 2009 METRO A woman prays using her rosary beads at the foot of the Papal Cross in Dublins Phoenix Park yesterday, on the 30th anniversary of the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland in 1979. The Pope held a mass for more than 1million people at the Cross during his visit Picture: Maxpix PaPal visit remembered tribunal orders school to give job back to nunA NUN has been reinstated to her teaching post after being unfairly dismissed in a case that divided the Employment Appeals Tribunal. In one of the most complex cases ever to come before it, the tribunal had to consider that because of her dual responsibilities to her school and religious superiors, neither could be held accountable for her sacking. Sister Maria OSullivan began teaching at Presentation Primary School, Bandon, Co Cork in 1991, having taught at a number of schools since her qualification as a primary school teacher in 1975. As the convent school was owned by the Order of Presentation Sisters, the Order had a right to nominate members of their congregation on to the teaching staff. In March 2006 Sr OSullivan, who had serious interpersonal issues with some staff at the school, attend- ed a doctor with work-related stress. BY ROSS McDONAGH teacher, Sr OSullivan came under both clerical rules and lawful author- ity. The former obliged her to take a vow of obedience to her religious su- periors while the latter subjected her to the terms and conditions of her employment. One side argued that the decision to withdraw Sr Marias nomination by her religious superiors left the Board with no option but to con- form with that direction by termi- nating her employment, without re- course to the normal procedures for the removal of a teacher. It claimed that the Board had no case to answer under the Unfair Dismissal Acts. However, a majority of the tribunal ruled that Sr OSullivan should be reinstated, adding that the manner in which she was treated at the time of her dismissal was grossly unde- served, hugely disrespectful, and is a source of shame on those who carried it out. The doctor wrote to the schools Board of Management and suggest- ed that she take a career break, but Sr OSullivan refused. The doctor later confirmed that the Board had first suggested the career break. When Sr OSullivan continued to refuse a period of rest, the Order wrote to the school to inform it, that it was withdrawing her nomination as a teacher. Although Sr OSullivan had taken a vow of obedience, she said this was predicated on dialogue and consultation, neither of which were adhered to. She decided to return to the school in a teaching capacity alone, but when she arrived to prepare her classroom, she found the tables and chairs removed from the room. The case split the tribunal; it ac- knowledged that as a nun and a 24th suicide at telecoms firmA SPATE of suicides at France Telecom has claimed its 24th victim in 18 months, as a father of two leapt from a bridge on to a highway leaving a note for his wife blaming the atmosphere at work for his act. French Labour Minister Xavier Darcos ordered an official to monitor France Telecoms health and safety meetings after the 23rd suicide earlier this month when a 32- year-old woman jumped to her death from her office window. Unions claimed the once-state- run companys restructuring could be to blame for some of the suicides. The recent victim, a 51- year-old man, was known to have been under pressure, since he had been moved from a job dealing with business clients to a call-centre at Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie region, which made cold calls to offer services to subscribers, according to union officials. Amid the furore France Telecom has agreed to halt all compulsory job changes and hired 200 staff counsellors. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html