A union boss who sued UNISON for racism when his branch role was handed to a white man has been left with a £15,000 legal bill – after investigators found his output across 562 hours of taxpayer-funded time off to represent workers amounted to just nine phone calls.

Kebba Manneh, a senior NHS physiotherapy technician who chairs UNISON’s national black workers committee, lost race discrimination cases against both his union and his employer, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in Wales, after tribunals dismissed every complaint he brought.

Manneh, who also serves as a senior magistrate and chair of Cwmbran Community Council, had been given 7.5 hours a week of paid time off from his NHS duties to carry out union branch work – an arrangement funded by the health board and ultimately the taxpayer.

But when the arrangement came up for review in 2023, UNISON’s branch secretary Andrea Prince investigated his output over a 75-day period – the equivalent of 562 hours of paid leave.

She concluded his branch work had been of such low volume that his secondment could not be renewed, finding it amounted to just nine telephone calls.

Manneh claimed the decision to remove his facility time was an act of race discrimination and that his role had been handed to a white man. 

He brought claims against UNISON and separately against the health board, alleging race harassment and direct discrimination.

The case against UNISON was thrown out before it reached trial. 

Kebba Manneh, a senior NHS physiotherapy technician who chairs UNISON’s national black workers committee, lost race discrimination cases against both his union and his employer

Manneh, who also serves as a senior magistrate and chair of Cwmbran Community Council, had been given 7.5 hours a week of paid time off from his NHS duties to carry out union branch work

Employment Judge R Evans found the documentary evidence ‘utterly unambiguous’ and said Manneh had failed to produce a single piece of supporting evidence despite being asked three times.

The judge also found that Manneh – who holds a master’s degree in employment relations from Keele University – had himself caused much of the delay to his own grievance investigation that he had blamed on discrimination.

His separate claims against the health board were dismissed after a five-day hearing in November 2025. 

Manneh was ordered to pay £15,000 towards the health board’s legal costs.

Manneh, who has worked for the health board since 1994, holds a master’s degree in employment relations from Keele University and has been a magistrate for 22 years.

At his modern terraced house in Cwmbran, South Wales, he said he could not comment on the result of the employment tribunal and his legal fees.

He said: ‘I need to discuss things with my lawyers, there are still outstanding matters to be dealt with.’

Manneh, who has worked for the health board since 1994, holds a master’s degree in employment relations from Keele University and has been a magistrate for 22 years