The Chief Executive of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Xavier Flores, alongside two other senior officials, has been summoned to testify. This TMB executives workplace harassment investigation focuses on complaints from the company’s former head of compliance, who was dismissed last year.
According to reports initially surfaced by elDiario.es and confirmed by local sources, the executives are due to appear before the court on 10 February. Meanwhile, TMB has issued a strong rebuttal, describing the accusations as “totally false” and maintaining the innocence of its leadership team.
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Home » TMB Executives Investigated: Workplace Harassment Allegations Against Barcelona Transport Boss
Judicial Summons in TMB Workplace Harassment Investigation
The judicial inquiry involves Xavier Flores, the Director of Human Resources, and the Legal Director of the metropolitan transport entity. All three have been called to declare as parties under investigation. Prior to their appearance, on 4 February, four witnesses are scheduled to testify, including the complainant herself.
The complainant, formerly responsible for TMB’s compliance department, alleges she was subjected to harassment by senior management. Her legal team asserts that this pressure began after she opened an internal file regarding the conduct of other executives.
The Compliance Clash and Whistleblower Status
The conflict appears to stem from internal investigations conducted during the complainant’s tenure. She claims that after initiating a probe into alleged misconduct involving directors, she faced coercion to discontinue the inquiry. Following these events, she sought protection from the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia (OAC), which granted her whistleblower status in May 2024.
In the spring of 2024, amid internal restructuring led by Flores, the compliance officer was informed of a change in her duties. By October that year, she was dismissed. However, TMB states the dismissal was due to a separate complaint filed against her for “serious” harassment of another worker. This case was investigated by an external firm but subsequently archived by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
TMB Denies Wrongdoing in Harassment Case
TMB has categorically denied any link between the former compliance head’s internal work and her eventual dismissal. In a statement, company sources stressed that the narrative presented in the lawsuit is baseless.
“We flatly deny that this person was harassed at work,” TMB sources stated. They emphasised that the case is currently in a phase of preliminary diligence and is “not a trial”. They further clarified that it was the company itself that originally referred the complainant’s internal investigation to the Prosecutor’s Office. Consequently, the matter was archived in December 2024. This case is unfolding against a backdrop of wider ongoing labour disputes and union actions throughout Spain.
The former executive is now pursuing the matter through both criminal and labour courts. She is challenging the legality of her dismissal and seeking redress for the alleged harassment. In addition, this legal challenge adds to a series of judicial reviews of employment practices. For example, a notable court ruling on workplace gender equality for public sector roles was recently upheld.
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