Car factory worker wins job claim over porn films

A woman car worker who claimed male colleagues at one of Europe's most productive motor plants watched hardcore sex movies during their lunch hour has won a claim of unfair dismissal.

Beverley Ward, 24, alleged she was forced from her job at the Nissan factory in Washington, Tyne and Wear, after her complaints about the behaviour of fellow workers led to her being told she had no role at the plant. She told an employment tribunal in Newcastle upon Tyne last month that the chauvinism of her colleagues forced her to eat lunch in a lavatory rather than interrupt their viewing of pornography.

Ms Ward, from Ferryhill, Co Durham, said insult was added to injury when she was later asked by managers to meet Tony Blair as an example of the company's equal opportunities policy. She stormed out of the plant in disgust.

Nissan Motors UK, which makes its Micra model at the Washington factory, confirmed yesterday that had it received the tribunal's ruling. A further hearing will decide how much compensation Ms Ward should receive.

Ms Ward, who was one of two women in a paintshop workforce of 300, was employed as a sealer on a short-term contract, which was not renewed when it expired in July last year.

She was one of seven workers to be released by Nissan – although six other employees on temporary contracts, all men, were retained. The company insisted this was because they were more experienced.

Nissan denied yesterday that all 300 workers had been watching the videos, saying it was restricted to a group of 25. But a spokesman admitted "unsuitable material" had been watched. He said: "The company operates an equal opportunities policy and every Nissan employee is required to follow a code of conduct. One of the clauses is that we are to respect everyone working with us."