A SAINSBURY’S worker was unfairly sacked from her 28-year career over a BLM comment about a cuddly toy.
Marian Cunnington, 52, picked up a cuddly toy rabbit named Bing, a character from a BBC kids cartoon, while she was making price changes at the store where she worked.
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An employment tribunal in Birmingham has ruled Marian Cunnington was unfairly sacked from her job with Sainsbury's Credit: Facebook 3
Bing is featured in a BBC kids cartoon Credit: BBC
She then said: “Should we really be selling this toy? Black Lives Matter”, an employment tribunal heard.
Marian was dismissed for gross misconduct after a colleague alleged she had made a racist comment.
But a judge ruled she was unfairly dismissed and now the mum-of-one will receive a payout from Sainsbury’s.
Marian told the Mirror: “I’m not a racist and I’m a really good worker.
“When I was summarily dismissed I was in disbelief."
Marian had worked at the supermarket’s branch in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, as a price controller and had received awards for her work.
She spotted the cuddly toy while carrying out price changes on June 11 last year.
Marian told the hearing she felt the toy could be offensive to black people, in a similar way to the banned Robertson’s jam mascot.
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Marian was dismissed for gross misconduct after working for Sainsbury's for 28 years Credit: Facebook
The colleague who made the formal complaint claimed she heard Marian say: “I’m offended Black Lives Matter?”.
The Birmingham employment tribunal was told Marian had been suspended from work the same day.
During a later meeting with bosses Marian told them: “I was actually standing up for BLM.”
But she was sacked on July 2 and her appeal against the decision was turned down.
Judge Richardson said last month the Sainsbury’s operations manager who fired Marian “could not explain what was offensive about the words ‘I’m offended Black Lives Matter’.”
The judge added “sensitivities were heightened” at the time of the incident, which happened approximately two weeks after George Floyd was murdered in the US.
He said: “...it is all the more reason to take great care that proper procedures are followed thoroughly, objectively and fairly so that justice can be done.
“Given the size and resources of [Sainsbury’s], the fact that so many fundamental procedural errors were made is unacceptable... the process followed was a disservice to [Marian] and also to [Sainsbury’s] cause to being an inclusive employer.
“In summary the decision to dismiss was not well founded and is unfair.”
Marian, who now works for Marks & Spencer, will receive a payout at a future hearing.
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She said: “It was literally a week after the BLM movement came out of the George Floyd murder. That’s why it was hypersensitive.
“These companies want to be seen to be doing the right thing but that was at my expense.”
The Sun Online has contacted Sainsbury’s for comment.
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