Veteran Chiswick Lifeboat Commander Unfairly Dismissed

Three volunteers had complained about his 'old school'sense of humour

Glen Monroe at Chiswick Lifeboat station. Picture: RNLI/Facebook

October 29, 2025

A long-serving lifeboat commander at the Chiswick station has won his case for unfair and wrongful dismissal against the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), following a tribunal ruling that found procedural failings in the charity’s handling of his dismissal.

Glen Monroe, 62, from Norfolk, was dismissed without notice in April 2024 after nearly four decades of service with the RNLI, including over 20 years at Chiswick Lifeboat Station, where he was one of the original crew members when it opened in 2002. It is estimated that he helmed more than 2,000 service calls during his time with the organisation. He continued to reside in Norfolk but commuted to Chiswick staying in the flat above the station when on shift. The station has approximately 60 volunteers and 9 or 10 employed staff some of whom also stay in the flat from time to time as they have a long distance to travel.

In July 2023 an open letter by the RNLI’s Chief Executive was distributed to all staff and volunteers after the charity had attracted negative publicity about bullying. Station Manager Wayne Bellamy asked Mr Munroe to read it out to all staff and volunteers at the station. A week later Mr Bellamy advised Mr Monroe to ‘tone it down’ although there had been no formal complaint against him.

Despite a positive performance assessment for 2023, Mr Monroe was suspended on 19 February 2024 following complaints from three fellow volunteers at the station. Two of them had said they felt uncomfortable in introducing new volunteers to the station because of Mr Monroe’s behaviour. Allegations included repeated references to the Mayor of London as a “terrorist” and the use of racist, sexist, and the use of derogatory and belittling remarks. One whistleblower claimed that a female crew member had left due partly due to his attitude and said that some people at the station were looking forward to him retiring. The RNLI concluded that his conduct amounted to gross misconduct.

Mr Monroe denied the allegations of racism and sexism, stating during the investigation that he had an “old-school” sense of humour that may not have resonated with younger colleagues. He explained that his comments about the Mayor stemmed from frustration over transport policies affecting his wedding car business and personally as a driver.

The London Central Employment Tribunal ruled that while some of the complaints against Mr Monroe were upheld and that their ruling did not exonerate his conduct, the RNLI had failed to provide him with sufficient detail about the allegations or clarify the specific breaches of conduct. The tribunal found that the disciplinary process lacked fairness and transparency, concluding that Mr Monroe had been both unfairly and wrongfully dismissed although a claim of age discrimination was not upheld.

Since his dismissal last April he has been working as a cab driver.

The tribunal noted that Mr Monroe had no prior disciplinary record and had received positive performance reviews, including praise for his reliability and leadership. A remedy hearing to determine compensation is scheduled for 15 December 2025.

An RNLI spokesperson said, ‘While we’re disappointed with the findings of the employment tribunal, we respect the court’s decision to uphold claims of wrongful and unfair dismissal against the RNLI. However, we are pleased that the court dismissed the claim of age discrimination. We listened to the feedback shared during the tribunal and we’re committed to learn from it.

‘A decision to end the employment of a member of staff is never taken lightly. We would like to thank Glen for his lifesaving service with our charity.’