The TUC has launched a stinging attack on Marks & Spencer after the retailer yesterday sacked an employee who “blew the whistle” on its plans to cut redundancy terms for staff.

Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, said that the decision was “truly shocking” as it emerged that the employee concerned will receive only eight days’ holiday pay — about £750 — after 25 years of service. A deal on his pension is still to be agreed.

Mr Barber said: “It is truly shocking that an employee can be dismissed for exposing underhand and secretive decisions about issues that will directly affect staff in his workplace.”

M&S insisted that it had no choice but to dismiss the worker, given that he had breached company rules by contacting The Times last month to reveal how the retailer wanted to cut redundancy terms by up to 25 per cent. M&S watered down one of its proposals after The Times reported its plans.

Speaking from his home last night, the employee said: “I just think they have totally over-reacted. It’s totally unfair. They just expect staff not to talk about the company at all.”

The GMB union vowed to challenge the dismissal through M&S’s internal procedures. Maria Ludkin, the union’s head of legal affairs, said: “This is a prime example of corporate bullying.”

M&S suspended the worker last week after an inquiry led by Mark Fensome, a manager in its internal risk and audit team. A document seen by The Times shows that M&S had records of all the employee’s e-mails and phone calls. In the evidence, Mr Fensome claims: “It seems quite evident to me that [the employee] sent to the press a number of e-mails intended to cause embarrassment to the company.” Sir Stuart Rose, soon after rejoining M&S as chief executive four years ago, appealed to staff to stop gossiping about it.

An M&S spokesman said: “The employee concerned broke the company’s rules and regulations and deliberately leaked internal company information and made derogatory and speculative comments to the media, despite a variety of internal routes available to address any concerns.”

M&S said it did not see the case as “whistle-blowing” because it did not believe it was doing anything wrong.

M&S’s revised redundancy terms are still among the high street’s best, but its own staff council has said the changes have led to unprecedented staff anger.

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