ADJUDICATION OFFICER DECISION

Adjudication Reference:  ADJ-00061537

Parties:

Complaint:

Date of Adjudication Hearing:  29/06/2026

Workplace Relations Commission Adjudication Officer:  Catherine Byrne

Procedure:

Mr Lucas De Oliveira Valadares (“the complainant”) was dismissed by Primark Limited, on July 14th 2025 and this complaint was submitted to the WRC on September 8th 2025.  A hearing opened on March 13th 2026, when it became apparent that the complainant was not properly on notice of the date of the hearing.  On May 13th 2026, a notice of the re-scheduled hearing on June 29th 2026 was issued to the complainant at his current address.

In response to the letter of May 13th 2026, a person representing the complainant wrote to the WRC and asked if he could attend by video link.  On May 20th, the case officer confirmed that this would be facilitated.  On May 26th, the complainant requested an adjournment because he hadn’t had an opportunity to prepare a submission.  His request for an adjournment was refused.

On June 23rd 2026, the case officer sent a Webex link to the person representing the complainant, so that he could attend the hearing remotely on June 29th; however, when the hearing opened on that day, the complainant was not in attendance.  Primark Limited was represented by Ms Hannah Rowe of IBEC.  Ms Rowe was accompanied by Ms Aoibhinn O’Grady.  Five members of the management team attended the hearing to give evidence in response to the complaint.

I have reviewed the documents on the case file and I am satisfied that the letter notifying the complainant of the second hearing was sent to him on May 13th 2026 and that he had six weeks’ advance notice of the hearing.  I am satisfied also that, on June 23rd 2026, he was sent a link to attend the hearing over the WRC’s Webex portal.  In the absence of any explanation for not attending, I have decided to conclude my investigation and close this file.

Decision:

Section 8 of the Unfair Dismissals Acts, 1977 – 2015 requires that I make a decision in relation to the unfair dismissal claim consisting of a grant of redress in accordance with section 7 of the 1977 Act.

In the circumstances where the complainant did not attend the hearing and, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary having been adduced before me, I must conclude that this complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 – 2015 is not well-founded and I decide accordingly.

Dated: 09-07-26

Commission Adjudication Officer:  Catherine Byrne

Key Words:  The complainantdid not attend the hearing.