Staff sacked in Blackburn

[F0zziebear]

Five postal staff sacked
By Pete Magill

PROBE: Royal Mail bosses face a number of hearings after taking action against staff over bullying' allegations
FIVE postmen have been sacked following a probe into allegations of racial harassment and bully ing, a union has revealed.

The claims centre on Blackburn's Royal Mail sorting office.

And a further nine postal workers have been reprimanded as part of an investigation into the Canterbury Street depot.

Royal Mail bosses are facing a raft of disciplinary hearings as the Communication Workers Union said all 13 workers were appealing.

Last week, Christopher Eccles, a postman at the Blackburn sorting office, had his sacking upheld by a tribunal in Manchester.

Steve Joss, branch secretary of the Comm unication Workers' Union in East Lancashire, vowed to help fight the workers' cause at their appeals.

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Royal Mail bosses said they had a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment and thoroughly investigated allegations before taking the action.

Mr Eccles was dismissed for gross misconduct after the tribunal heard he mimicked the accents of Asian colleagues.

He was said he was having a laugh and did not mean to cause offence, but bosses said his conduct was unacceptable.

Mr Eccles' case prompted bosses to launch a probe into alleged racial harassment and bullying at the sorting office which resulted in action being taken against the 13 other staff.

Around 200 workers are based at the sorting office and an estimated 10 per cent are said to come from Asian backgrounds.

Mr Joss said strike action, which had been discussed in protest at what had happened to Mr Eccles, had been ruled out "for the time being".

He said: "We hope that the matter will be resolved in the near future as it has been going on for the last 10 months or so.

"We have to admit that we are deeply disappointed with the judgement in the case of Christopher Eccles.

"The investigation involving Mr Eccles was regarding a totally separate incident than the second investigation.

"Mr Eccles was the first to be dismissed then there were four others following the second investigation.

"There were nine who were dealt with using other disciplinary measures."

The industrial tribunal last week heard how bosses launched a wide-ranging inquiry into racial harassment and bullying after allegations emerged of Asian postmen being mimicked.

In the case of Mr Eccles a complaint came from a colleague Abdul Mussa, rather than the postman who was mimicked, Farid Patel, the tribunal was told.

Mr Mussa had previously complained about Mr Eccles' conduct in April 2006, after claiming he heard him mimicking another postman, Arifamed Mallu.

The tribunal heard that a number of other complaints had been made by Mr Mussa as part of the second disciplinary investigation.

No specific details were given about the second investigation, other than to say it concerned alleged racial harassment and bullying.

A Royal Mail spokesman said they could not comment on individual cases but added: "We have a zero tolerance approach towards bullying and harassment.

"We have a robust disciplinary process, agreed with the union, which is subject to appeal.

"In line with this policy five employees at Blackburn Delivery Office have been dismissed following harassment allegations which were thoroughly investigated."

[johno47]

Its a shame RMs zero tolerance to bullying and harassment doesnt apply to RM managers.
UNITY IS SRENGTH

[L Tommo]

Johno,,,, this is close to my heart as it is every person at Burslem,

BIG DAVE IN INNOCENT!!! BRING BACK BIG DAVE!!!!

WE WONT REST TILL HE IS BACK


RM SCUM


OUT!!!

[mdtomuk]

IT'S SUCH A SHAME WHEN YOU HEAR OF CASES LIKE THIS. IF THESE PEOPLE WERE RACIALLY BULLYING THEN I'M AFRAID TO SAY THEY DESERVE TO BE KICKED OUT. IT'S 2007 FOR CHRISSAKES! BUT IF IT'S RM'S WAY OF GETTING RID OF PEOPLE FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN THEY WERE 'ACTIVISTS' THEN THE UNION MUST FIGHT FOR THEM. SORRY, BUT MY JURY IS OUT. LET'S JUST HOPE GOOD SENSE PREVAILS. (no chance of a quick resolution then, ed!)

[L Tommo]

There was a case where good men were slandered by RM of RACIST WRITING ON A NOTICE BOARD.. They accused them of doing it and had it on IB Camera/tape,, BUT NEVER SHOWED IT only accused.. They suspended them and nearly caused a riot as The people were and ARE GOOD FRIENDS WITH Black/asian friends/workmates... Some didnt believe it some did, But there was some who backed the people as they KNEW THEY WERE INNOCENT!!!

Full inquiry and all back to normal... After the poeple had all this over there heads!!! NO PROOF NO FACTS BUT ALLEGATIONS MADE AND MADE THERE LIVES
HELL... This is the RM that stand up to H&B and racism..... In my view of the case so far a OPEN CASE SHOULD BE HEARD AND NO FINGERPOINTING
SHOULD BE MADE UNTIL GUILTY IF THIS IS THE CASE??????????


LETS SEE RM IN ACTION AGAIN!!!!

OUT


DONT LET THE BASTARDS TRY THESE DIRTY TRICKS AGAIN!!!!

[norbet colon]

This is all Political correctness gone mad , a over zealous crisis reaction to the dreadful Jermaine Lee suicide & that dreadful IT case in Essex.It's what Royal Mail do
best turn a storm in a teacup into a disaster!,all this more pc & right on thou nonsense is impress gullible & naive people at the CRE & EOC as Royal Mail is being monitored by them.

The Daily Express & Daily Mail would have a field day with this.The CRE & EOC bully people into thinking it's those nasty white people are the only racists, that's rubbish but it justifies all those good jobs paid out of our taxes.

If someone had a scouse or geordie accent & other people mimicked him or her, would anyone get far in a B&H case?, no you'd be told not to clog people up with petty grieviances & on the conduct code for claims in bad faith

.No it's just idiotic managers trying to impress even more stupid senior managers. Would a private firm have all this nonsense, no becaus e they would be a laughing stock.

On 11/09/01 I've seen Asian staff cheering & clapping at footage of that disaster, Asian staff the next day waving newspapers around , paper aeroplanes being thrown . Asian staff cheering over the Madrid bombings , but that's ok it's culturial diversity.

This is all a excuse to get rid of people.

If a white person got abused , bullied etc by these people , would he get far, I sincerely doubt it!

Royal Mail might as well get that slimey Nick Griffin in to recruit for the vile BNP, but maybe RM are doing a perfectly good job as recruiting sargeants themselves.

[greenfordgully]

good shout norbet
i come from a multi ethnic office where the key to success is tolerance.
no one gives a toss who comes from where or what they look like and
because we dont feel like were walking on egg shells each time we pass
a comment the banter flies thick and fast without offence being taken
surely this is the way to go

[F0zziebear]

I was a manager at a multi-ethnic depot and everything seemed to be fine. Then something went wrong, to this day I'm not sure what triggered it, but people started offence and we had to come down strong on some issues, and it took at least eighteen months (I'd left by then) for things to settle back down and people feel comfortable. You can't put a price on tolerance and harmony. It makes such a difference to being able to be involved and run an office successfully.

F0zz

[IWW Fellow Worker]

This is all Political correctness gone mad , a over zealous crisis reaction to the dreadful Jermaine Lee suicide & that dreadful IT case in Essex.It's what Royal Mail do best turn a storm in a teacup into a disaster!,all this more pc & right on thou nonsense is impress gullible & naive people at the CRE & EOC as Royal Mail is being monitored by them.The Daily Express & Daily Mail would have a field day with this.The CRE & EOC bully people into thinking it's those nasty white people are the only racists, that's rubbish but it justifies all those good jobs paid out of our taxes.
If someone had a scouse or geordie accent & other people mimicked him or her, would anyone get far in a B&H case?, no you'd be told not to clog people up with petty grieviances & on the conduct code for claims in bad faith.No it's just idiotic managers trying to impress even more stupid senior managers. Would a private firm have all this nonsense, no becaus e they would be a laughing stock.
On 11/09/01 I've seen Asian staff cheering & clapping at footage of that disaster, Asian staff the next day waving newspapers around , paper aeroplanes being thrown . Asian staff cheering over the Madrid bombings , but that's ok it's culturial diversity. This is all a excuse to get rid of people.
If a white person got abused , bullied etc by these people , would he get far, I sincerely doubt it!
Royal Mail might as well get that slimey Nick Griffin in to recruit for the vile BNP, but maybe RM are doing a perfectly good job as recruiting sargeants themselves.

It wouldn't do to be too thin skinned in our office as there is quite a bit of banter between 'scousers' and 'woolybacks' and it's mostly funny and good natured. Personally, I draw the line at certain stereotypes which can't be backed up with Home Office figures, and I'll tell the person dealing in such stereotypes where to get off. I can't imagine heading to the DUM's office to file a complaint though. There is no situation so bad that the involvement of management cannot make it worse.

[norbet colon]

I thought I'd get shouted down !, people telling me I read the Express/Mail too much!

I've seen Darcus Howe [Jamacian Descent] calling Asian youths little boys in Walsall where there was violence between black people & Muslims, CWU Asian reps & elders saying the same.Better that we're dealing with the real world not Planet Post Office.That sort of political correctness comes from the 80's , but it's RM!

The CWU need to try a different tact /line of attack in the IT appeal because the Chairman is just going to believe the RM & thier witnesses swearing blind, this & that, go for RM's petty politics. There's comments in that Blackburn Paper from staff saying the biggest trouble maker was the complainant. Blackburn effectively has apartheid .

I've seen too much nonsense on the railways, Crown Court case when a lad patted a womans belly,all the railway girls shunned her, a Transport Policeman blocking the ticket office entrance as he'd put his hand on a clerk's shoulder , as soon as a petition was organised, the Area manager sorted it out.

The worst was a breath test for a Liverpool Inspector , he was sacked for the alcohol fumes from his breath spray. Liverpool had a habit of sticking together.We'd a p***y culture as some of you will know, then the Transport Act.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

I think you have a point Norbet. The middle-class white liberals who make so much of political correctness do no one any favours. We have now reached the stage where people are proud to announce "I'm not politically correct" and think they can get away with all sorts of racist remarks.
By the way, my dad worked on the railway. Thirty years at Lime Street, and my grandad was on the Permanent Way at Edge Hill depot.

[norbet colon]

I think you have a point Norbet. The middle-class white liberals who make so much of political correctness do no one any favours. We have now reached the stage where people are proud to announce "I'm not politically correct" and think they can get away with all sorts of racist remarks.

By the way, my dad worked on the railway. Thirty years at Lime Street, and my grandad was on the Permanent Way at Edge Hill depot.

It's middle class wannabe but can't be politicians trying to control us, I don't condone anyone turning into Manning.

The RMT got a manager sacked @ Lime St for crass racial remarks , Management said he was like that with everyone, so it's ok !, they were just vigorous & robust and it was ok to be vindictive. That sacking of the inspector was HQ @ Manchester v Liverpool childish willy waving.

[johnston65]

The same is happening in my place where managers are scared to confront people because of the colour of their skin,sex etc. yet won't think twice about having a dig at what makes up the majority of the workforce...the managers don't seem to realise that they are actually being rascist by doing this and also burning down the bridges which others are trying to build.

[BB brother]

This is the office i currently work at and i have to say the whole affair has been handled awfully !

I know that any racist issue is a hot potatoe for any manager to handle but this was a spectacular b*lls up !!

What little atmosphere was left at Bburn Office has completely dissapeared,people are afraid to speak for fearing reprisals.The more cynical at Bburn would say this episode was used by the DOM to sack full time posties and score a few brownie points for himself,considering that even the original complainant (Abdul Moosa) is currently suspended and probably looking at dismissal, id say they might have a point !!

For what its worth, in my opinion, C. Eccles, although his behaviour at times sailed close to the wind ,wasnt a racist and certainly did not deserve to be sacked.And the other sackings were, at best ,unsound.

Lot of lives ruined for such a small incident.

P.S.
Nearly forgot to mention that the DOM in question holds the east lancs allcomers record for sackings. 40 plus, i kid you not !(alledgedly) lol

[norbet colon]

There was a similar case @ Preston MC when a AG had the temarity to complain about being called a white b*****d, the abuser's father actually won a IT case , only because there was far worse comparators . A mediocre but very ambitious Bolton Planning Manager on "gardening leave" predictably turned the case round on it's head , "witnesses" were found from nowhere as per usual.

His case was vague, incoherent, riddled with contradictions, begging more questions than it answered, the AG's appeal rubbishing most of it, never went to Personnel in Warrington of course!

A "Colourful" line manager who had been disciplined for saying "What the **** has it got to do with you, you fat ugly bitch",after deliberately blocking the disabled car space so everyone could see his customised car!; & facing the sack from a Messiah MCM from Birmingham{not long after the Jermaine Lee suicide}took the so called "fact finding bullying investigation".

The patently obvious was aparently pointed out, and the magic words Industrial Tribunual put a stop to this nonsense.

We strongly suspect it was no coincidence that everything was leaked afterwards to the local rag & the nationals , there was HSE inspections & a tour by Postwatch. I can't say I'd much sympathy for the people exposed in the press.