Courts

Part-time press photographer attacks professional body in gender bias claim

Norma Burke says rule requiring PPI members to be ‘full-time’ press photographers earning 80% of their income from editorial work discriminates against women

Norma Burke leaving the Workplace Relations Commission in Dublin on Friday. Photograph: Collins Photos
Norma Burke leaving the Workplace Relations Commission in Dublin on Friday. Photograph: Collins Photos
Stephen Bourke
Fri Sept 13 2024 - 19:00

A photojournalist has accused the professional body for press photographers in Ireland of making it “disproportionately” hard for women to join and of harbouring a “jobs-for-the-boys attitude”.

At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Thursday, the claimant, Norma Burke, accused Press Photographers Ireland CLG (PPI) of acting as “de facto photo Freemasons” and said she was belittled and dismissed during correspondence with one of its male members.

In a complaint under the Equal Status Act 2000, Ms Burke, who told the tribunal she was working part-time as a photojournalist while enrolled as a full-time student, has accused Press Photographers Ireland CLG of directly and indirectly discriminating against her on the grounds of her gender.

Her case is that a membership rule requiring PPI members to be “full-time” press photographers earning 80 per cent of their income from editorial work discriminates against women on the grounds they are more likely to be working part-time, in full-time education or to have childcare or caring responsibilities.

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She further alleges that “belittling”, “dismissive” and “gendered” remarks were made to her in reply to her inquiries about the membership process in August and September last year.

PPI, which was known as the Press Photographers Association of Ireland (PPAI) until earlier this year, denies any breach.

Its barrister urged the tribunal to dismiss the case on preliminary grounds, arguing Ms Burke did not submit a membership application, so had no standing to make a claim, and that the association did not provide a service to the public, so it was not covered by the equality legislation.

The tribunal reserved its position on the objections and heard the matter in full on Thursday.

The PPI’s barrister, Elaine Davern-Wiseman BL, called Ms Burke’s comments “inflammatory and prejudicial statements” which were “completely irrelevant” and had “nothing to do with the complaint”.

The organisation required its members to be full-time photographers to uphold “the standards and the standing the organisation has”, she said.

“In this day and age, everyone with a camera and a laptop can try to put themselves out as being a photographer,” she said. Counsel said the issuing of a PPI membership card identifying the holder to gardaí as “bona fide” was “particularly pertinent in the current environment”.

Adjudicator Kara Turner closed the hearing on Thursday evening and is to issue her findings in writing to the parties at a future date.

Ms Burke previously attempted to secure the nomination of Dublin City Council to stand as a satirical candidate in the 2018 presidential election, appearing in costume as a fictional public relations executive named Bunty Twuntingdon-McFuff in a presentation to councillors.

She reprised the character in the 2019 British general election to stand against former British prime minister Boris Johnson in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, where she secured 22 votes. In a run for the Dáil the following year, Ms Burke campaigned under her own name as an independent in Dublin Bay South, but did not secure a seat.