The former TMB executive who denounces harassment from the top management: "There are workers who are afraid"

BarcelonaCarme Macías, the former head of regulatory compliance at Barcelona Metropolitan Transport (TMB), who has filed a complaint against three senior officials for workplace harassment, has spoken publicly for the first time since the case went to court. Macías alleges that she was dismissed in retaliation for an internal investigation into workplace bullying that implicated three managers. The then compliance officer TMB regrets that her dismissal has caused "fear" among the company's employees and has undermined "credibility" and "trust" in the internal reporting system, which is mandatory in large companies. "What can an employee think who wants to report an irregularity if the compliance body is treated like I was? I seriously doubt that TMB has received many complaints since my dismissal," she stated.

Macías appeared at a press conference this Wednesday accompanied by lawyer Paco Pérez, from Colectivo Ronda, who represents the former executive in the legal proceedings to determine whether her dismissal was unfair. The former executive's lawsuit challenges her dismissal and seeks its annulment. The trial to resolve the matter is scheduled for next Tuesday. Meanwhile, the criminal case investigating TMB's CEO, Xavier Flores, the human resources director, and the head of legal services continues. Regarding the alleged harassment in Macías.

A complaint for "justifying" the dismissal

Before being dismissed, Macías became a protected informant for the Catalan Anti-Fraud Office. TMB was aware of this and dismissed her anyway after a harassment complaint was filed against her. In fact, the reason given in the dismissal letter is the report from the external company that handled the complaint, which goes so far as to say that everyone who has worked with Macías over the years has reported harassment by her, as explained this Wednesday by lawyer Paco Pérez. The lawyer believes that this complaint against Macías was an "excessive accusation to justify her dismissal." Macías also emphasized that during her nineteen years working at TMB, she never received "any complaint, any reprimand, or any sanction." On the contrary, she said that she received the gratitude of management and their trust in her position as compliance officer, "a position requiring the utmost respect for the law."