A FORMER union official who was involved in high profile industrial disputes is claiming sex discrimination and unfair dismissal against his ex bosses.

The industrial tribunal action by Paul Hoggarth from Nelson is against GMB general secretary Paul Kenny, and the union's northern general secretary Paul McCarthy.

Previously Mr Hoggarth was a senior organiser with the GMB in Lancashire and spoke out against low pay and workplace discrimination across the county.

But he became involved in a sex discrimination case two years ago.

Mr Hoggarth, along with regional secretary Gary Jones and others, were named as respondents in a series of sex bias claims brought by Maxine Nixon, a senior organiser in the Lancashire region.

The tribunal heard that Mr Hoggarth had castigated Ms Nixon for bringing the discrimination claim during a union get-together at the Tickled Trout Hotel near Preston.

She fled in tears to the toilets after the confrontation, the tribunal heard, and Mr Jones was heard to make comments backing up his colleague's actions.

Mr Hoggarth and Mr Jones were later found guilty of victimisation by the tribunal, according to the judgement in the case, released in July 2005.

Suspended by the GMB, Mr Hoggarth was later dismissed following internal disciplinary hearings.

The latest case involving Mr Hoggarth is listed for a preliminary hearing at Manchester's employment tribunal offices next Monday.

He has lodged claims for unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and disability discrimination against his former employers, with the national and northern secretaries, Mr Kenny and Mr McCarthy, named individually in the charges.

Ex-union official Mr Hoggarth's services were called upon whenever major industrial disputes arose in East Lancashire.

He represented hundreds of workers at Nelson furniture firm Buoyant when it was bought out by rivals Wade Furniture in early 1999, and fought job losses at Barnsoldwick textile firm Albert Hartley three years earlier.

Mr Hoggarth was also involved in the Christmas bin collection dispute across Pendle in 1995 and spoke out against the workforce being axed at Trawden-based Bairdtex that same year.

A spokesman for the Employment Tribunal office in Manchester said: "A pre-hearing review is set to take place in this case on Monday."