Axed conductor's 'faulty inquiry'

A train conductor accused of sexual harassing a female colleague has won his job back.

Arvind Adi will also receive 30 weeks of lost wages and $5000 compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to his feelings after a "faulty inquiry" by Veolia Transport, the company that runs Auckland's trains.

Adi was dismissed from his job after a colleague claimed that in April last year he twice touched her inappropriately. She made a formal complaint and Adi agreed to be stood down while Veolia's human resources manager investigated.

On May 13 Adi was dismissed after the manager concluded "on the balance of probability, deliberate sexual harassment had occurred". Adi filed a personal grievance with the Employment Relations Authority the same day.

The authority concluded the company had "failed to conduct an inquiry that was full and fair enough to establish the allegations to the necessary high degree of probability". It ordered Adi be reinstated, despite Veolia saying his return to work was impractical and unsafe.

Veolia special projects manager Silva Bassett said the company had "complied fully" with the authority's orders.