Coventry Royal Mail worker sacked after allegedly waving replica guns around
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Sacked worker suing Royal Mail for unfair dismissal after he allegedly handled pistols like a gunslinger'
A Parcelforce operative was sacked after denying he handled two pistols like a cowboy gunslinger, pointing one gun at a colleague’s chest and causing another to look down its barrel.
Paul Mason, of Allesley, Coventry was alleged to have waved the pistols about from a make-believe holster after the guns came out of a parcel at the Coventry sorting hub, Birmingham Employment Tribunal was told.
The pistols were eventually found to be replicas but the respondents said the sorting staff would not have known that at the time and felt in danger.
Mr Mason was making a legal claim for unfair dismissal against Parcelforce after being dismissed for gross misconduct.
Parcelforce, part of the Royal Mail Group, who opposed his legal claim, said Mr Mason should not have handled the pistols.
Andrew Allen, representing Mr Mason, said all kinds of contradictions were made by staff after the guns dropped from a parcel – and none of the allegations were true.
He said one allegation was that Mr Mason waved the pistols about like a gunslinger from a make-believe holster while another colleague claimed he had one of the pistols pointed at his torso.
Another colleague alleged a pistol was held at such an angle that he was looking down its barrel.
“There have been exaggerations,” said Mr Allen. “One employee who was present was not even interviewed.
“Mr Mason was not doing an impression of a gunslinger or playing around. He put them down ready for two Border Patrol members who were said to be on their way to look at the guns.
“To dismiss Mr Mason was a harsh decision and outside the range of reasonable responses.”
Mr Mason also denied that he pointed one of the pistols at one of the Border Patrol members.
Ian Hartley, representing Royal Mail, accused Mr Mason of inappropriately handling firearms and breaching the Royal Mail’s health and safety regulations.
“Health and Safety is the Royal Mail’s main priority and it was breached on this occasion,” he said.
“He should not have handled the guns – there was no need for it.
“No one knew at the time that the pistols were replicas. People thought at the time they were real firearms and felt at risk. He could have put himself and his colleagues in danger.
After a two day hearing judge Christopher Gaskell said he would make a decision at a later date.
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Coventry PFWW worker sacked
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TrueBlueTerrier
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Coventry PFWW worker sacked
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NWpostie
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Re: Coventry PFWW worker sacked
I don't know all the facts in this particular case. As it had happened to others, it won't be the first time that otherwise sane people lose all common sense and do something silly costing them their jobs, the moral of the story is "while working be boring, think before you do anything, play the grey man" that way you stay in a job.
Six of Nine loves Seven of Nine, together in Electric Dreams.
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PHARRY
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Re: Coventry PFWW worker sacked
NWpostie wrote:I don't know all the facts in this particular case. As it had happened to others, it won't be the first time that otherwise sane people lose all common sense and do something silly costing them their jobs, the moral of the story is "while working be boring, think before you do anything, play the grey man" that way you stay in a job.
It's Called play the White man not grey man
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bustedflush
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Re: Coventry PFWW worker sacked
PHARRY wrote:NWpostie wrote:I don't know all the facts in this particular case. As it had happened to others, it won't be the first time that otherwise sane people lose all common sense and do something silly costing them their jobs, the moral of the story is "while working be boring, think before you do anything, play the grey man" that way you stay in a job.
It's Called play the White man not grey man
Yes, but he's worried that this old term derived from chess or whatever will now get him sanctioned for non-PC at best or 'racism' at worst. So mix the black and white together and get grey and you're safe. I don't think he's referring to putting on a large pair of horn-rimmed glasses at work and a grey suit and pretending to be John Major.
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TrueBlueTerrier
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Re: Coventry PFWW worker sacked
bustedflush wrote:PHARRY wrote:NWpostie wrote:I don't know all the facts in this particular case. As it had happened to others, it won't be the first time that otherwise sane people lose all common sense and do something silly costing them their jobs, the moral of the story is "while working be boring, think before you do anything, play the grey man" that way you stay in a job.
It's Called play the White man not grey man
Yes, but he's worried that this old term derived from chess or whatever will now get him sanctioned for non-PC at best or 'racism' at worst. So mix the black and white together and get grey and you're safe. I don't think he's referring to putting on a large pair of horn-rimmed glasses at work and a grey suit and pretending to be John Major.
Actually the 2 terms have different meanings at least round here.
Play the White man means to do things correctly or not do anything morally questionable.
To play the grey man means to fade into the background, to become unnoticed and not draw attention to yourself.
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bustedflush
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Re: Coventry PFWW worker sacked
I see, never heard of playing the grey man TBH.TrueBlueTerrier wrote:bustedflush wrote:PHARRY wrote:NWpostie wrote:I don't know all the facts in this particular case. As it had happened to others, it won't be the first time that otherwise sane people lose all common sense and do something silly costing them their jobs, the moral of the story is "while working be boring, think before you do anything, play the grey man" that way you stay in a job.
It's Called play the White man not grey man
Yes, but he's worried that this old term derived from chess or whatever will now get him sanctioned for non-PC at best or 'racism' at worst. So mix the black and white together and get grey and you're safe. I don't think he's referring to putting on a large pair of horn-rimmed glasses at work and a grey suit and pretending to be John Major.
Actually the 2 terms have different meanings at least round here.
Play the White man means to do things correctly or not do anything morally questionable.
To play the grey man means to fade into the background, to become unnoticed and not draw attention to yourself.
Playing the black man was phased out after those awful 1970's Variety Shows.
Playing the white man is non-PC now as it associates being white with decent and fair with the inference that the black man isn't.
So grey man it is from now on.