Claimant was 'faking' symptoms

Mrs Hawkins has worked for the Alliance Party since 2000

A woman taking a discrimination case against the Alliance Party was "faking" her symptoms, a tribunal has heard.

The accusation was made during the cross examination of employee Margaret Hawkins who claims she suffered age, gender and disability discrimination.

Mrs Hawkins said stress suffered at work exacerbated her osteoarthritis.

The tribunal heard extracts from a medical report which said she showed "greater ease of movement when examined with distraction".

Mrs Hawkins claim of psychiatric injury was also questioned by the respondents' legal team.

Extracts read from a report from a consultant psychiatrist said she did not suffer from clinical anxiety, clinical depression or a mental illness.

"This is a lady who feels irritated, angry and annoyed," said the report.

Stress

The claimant maintained that while there was no evidence of psychiatric injury before the tribunal, she had suffered from work-related stress.

"I have suffered from very low self-esteem, in the months after I stopped working found it difficult to get out of bed as I felt I didn't have anything to get up for," said Mrs Hawkins.

"This was because of seven years of constant bullying and harassment by Stephen Farry and David Ford and other members of the party allowed this to happen and turned a blind eye."

Mrs Hawkins, 60, has worked for the party in a number of administrative positions, as Mr Ford's personal assistant, in the constituency offices of Mr Ford and Naomi Long, at party headquarters and at parliament buildings.

The claimant alleges that on 30 August 2007, following a staffing review about which she was not consulted, she was informed her job no longer existed, she would have to accept a new position and her salary was to be cut by about £7,000.

The case continues.