A JOURNALIST felt she was not awarded the pay rise due to her because she had criticised the training course she had been on, a tribunal heard.

The employment tribunal at Ashford into a claim of unfair dismissal by Amanda Fisher against the Kent Messenger Group, heard that she had raised several concerns over 18 months about the course and how it was run.

Ms Fisher, a former freelance TV producer and director, was one of six trainees who joined the company’s trainee sub editor’s course in August 2000, but was dismissed in June 2004.

Ms Fisher told the court on the first day of the claimant’s case being outlined, that on starting the course she was told she would need to register her achievements in a log book, which would be assessed by editorial training manager Neil Webber once completed, to finish the course.

But, despite many requests, she did not receive the log book for 13 months, she said.

On her first job placement, with the Kent Today subs desk at Larkfield, she had concerns about training and was frustrated that she – in common with all the trainees - did not have internet access or external email on her computer.

“It made me feel like I was being treated like a child,” she said.

Also, her manager, Andy Rayfield, did not like releasing her for training and frequently complained about doing it.

“I was embarrassed because I felt he was taking out his frustrations on the course by denigrating me in front of my colleagues,” she said.

The high pressure job, with desks packed closely together made her feel like a ‘battery hen’.

In January 2001, she asked for extra training for her impending exams but was told by Mr Webber, whom she described as unsupportive, she was making a ridiculous fuss and could always re-sit.

But once other trainees complained, extra law and local government sessions were organised, she claimed.

After Mr Rayfield publicly pointed out mistakes in her subbing, she said she began to dread going into work.

In her second placement, on the Kent Messenger subs desk, she found she was expected to plan pages, but had not been trained to do so, which made her feel second class.

In October 2001 she was appointed as a writer and sub editor in group features at Larkfield, but when she started, was told by news editor Deborah Penn that she believed it a mistake to appoint another woman. Ms Fisher said she believed Ms Penn resented her broadcast journalism career.

In January 2002 she received her log book back but was shocked to find Mr Webber had made negative comments and said it needed to be redone.

In September 2002 her log book was passed by an external training manager but her payrise was only backdated three months and not to the date she had originally submitted the book, as had been promised by group editorial director Simon Irwin at a meeting in November 2001.

“It seemed to me that Mr Webber was punishing me in financial terms for the criticisms I had made of the trainees’ course,” she said.

Ms Fisher, of Selling, near Faversham, claims she was the victim of a long campaign of bullying and harassment by senior colleagues. She is seeking reinstatement. The Kent Messenger Group Ltd denies all her claims.

The case continues.