Log in or become a subscriber

A long-serving employee who was accused of threatening a colleague with violence has won reinstatement, after the Fair Work Commission found he was sacked based on "circumstantial evidence".

In February this year BlueScope Steel dismissed the electrician, who had worked for it since 1991, for yelling out his car window at the colleague words to the effect of, "you're a dead motherf-cker. I'm gonna get you".

It said this breached its code of conduct and harassment guidelines, and constituted serious misconduct.

But the employee claimed unfair dismissal, denying he threatened the colleague. He said his window had been up at the time of the alleged incident, as it was a hot day and his air conditioner was running...