Nomura faces appeal in sex-bias claim

JAPANESE-OWNED bank Nomura International is being put on trial once again to defend a sex discrimination claim by one of its former City bankers.

An Employment Appeal Tribunal hearing, set for July, could prove embarrassing for Nomura, which successfully defended the discrimination, victimisation and unfair dismissal claim brought by former corporate financier Andrea Madarassy last year.

Madarassy hopes to reverse a tribunal finding that repeated 'barking' and 'threatening' behaviour by her bosses while she was pregnant was not discriminatory. The tribunal found there was 'an equality of shouting' towards all staff of either gender.

Nomura dismissed Madarassy in 2001 after she had returned from maternity leave. It had begun a review of its London operations while she was away but told her only when she returned.

Madarassy claims the delay put her at a disadvantage in trying to alter her position in the bank and adds that, in the absence of a reasonable explanation, this can only be attributed to sex discrimination.

She also claims that the bank unfairly discriminated against her earlier when setting bonuses, judging her by gender, not performance. Lawyers believe she could win £1m compensation, five times her total annual pay package of £200,000 including lost bonuses.

Nomura said it will vigorously defend the appeal.