The Financial Times is facing a tribunal claim for £200,000 as a bitter dispute with former personal finance writer for the paper Steve Lodge looks set to rumble on into the autumn.
FT editor Lionel Barber and other senior management faced three days of cross examination at a south London employment tribunal last week.
Now the case has been adjourned until October when Lodge and NUJ officials will face questioning.
The dispute centres around an incident on 23 September, 2011, when Lodge, 46, was moving a plastic crate filled with his belongings from one part of the FT building to another.
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Lodge had moved from the Money team to writing the smaller companies stock market report after he had been accused of telling people that the FT Money website was 'shit".
Whilst descending a stairwell, Hodge colliding with FT deputy money editor Alice Ross in what he said was a 'glancing and very light'contact. Lodge was sacked following a disciplinary hearing chaired by Barber.
He is seeking reinstatement, but failing that has asked for £200,000.
An FT spokesman said: 'Mr Lodge, formerly working in the FT's editorial department, is challenging the dismissal and has brought Employment Tribunal proceedings for unfair dismissal. The FT stands by its decision to dismiss Mr Lodge.'
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