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Saturday 15 May 2010

Is that a constructive dismissal case I see in the distance?

Got a phone call last Tuesday afternoon, it was my 'boss' from work, could I go in and see him at 10 a.m the following day? I say yes and he puts the phone down.  On the dot the following day I turn up at his office.  He then starts to question me about an incident that happened in the new Express Car Park on Sat 08th May at approx 20:00hrs.  I reply I don't remember anything happening, I'm then told a lady pulled up at the barrier and did not have any money and could not pay her £1.00 parking fee.  I am then supposed to have told her to 'back off' and go and get the money off the people she has just dropped off.  She protests at this saying she has a young child in the car and I ignore her.  She then backs off through quite a bit of traffic and almost runs someone over on the crossing.  I tell him I did have a lady at the barrier with a young child in the car and no money but whether that was Friday, Sat or Sunday I can't remember.  I do know I have never told anyone to reverse off the barrier and go and get the money especially when it's busy.  He says it's 100% positive that it was me and that I am suspended for seven days pending investigation by his bosses.

On the way home it suddenly occurs to me that I was on the bus first thing Sat evening as I can remember calling Pauline when she was in the middle of her Chinese take-away and having a go at her because I didn't have any bait and she's telling me how nice the BBQ ribs were.  After confirming I was on the bus with the Team Leader who was on duty(which is a no-no lol) I telephoned my boss and told him it wasn't me, as I was on the bus Sat until at least 21:00hrs, is he sure it's not one of the seasonal ops/drivers who from behind and at the distance the CCTV camera is could look like me?  I was not on the bus as the CCTV shows 150% that it was me at the barrier.

Shortly after this I get a call from my Team Leader, I'd phoned him first to see if he could remember me being on the bus on Sat evening, but he wasn't home and I left a message.  He told me that I was on the bus, Jim was doing the Novotel run and helping off-site out and Ian(the guy who could be mistaken for me on the CCTV) was at the Express Car Park.

This morning I get all the disciplinary letters etc. from the big boss confirming what had allegedly happened.  Obviously no one has checked the Drivers' Hours Log which will confirm that I was on the bus until 21:00hrs, unless someone has doctored it of course!  I've got my grievance complaint all written out ready to hand in and just need to make an appointment to go and see the CCTV footage for myself.

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