Tribunal appeal for roof protest postie

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/ne ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A POSTMAN sacked for staging a rooftop protest will be taking Royal Mail to an employment tribunal.

Paul Dawson scaled Royal Mail's Burslem delivery office for the second time on August 11, minutes after being sacked for a previous rooftop demonstration in March.

The 40-year-old, pictured, from Ball Green, was one of 12 employees suspended at Burslem two years ago over allegations of bullying, which sparked weeks of strikes by sympathetic colleagues.

He was subsequently exonerated, but climbed on to the roof in March to demand a public apology from the firm. That apology was issued, but his protest saw him accused of trespass and wilfully delaying the post.

The father-of-one appealed against his sacking in August, but has now found out the dismissal has been upheld.

The news came just days before he appeared at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court charged with aggravated trespass.

Yesterday he entered a guilty plea, but his case was adjourned until February for further reports.

Laura Jones, prosecuting, told the court 25,000 items of mail were not delivered on August 11, because 70 members of staff were forced to stay outside the depot while Mr Dawson was on the roof. Another 130 special deliveries failed to arrive before the 1pm deadline.

Miss Jones said: "A police negotiator at the scene said Mr Dawson refused several requests to come down from the roof and that it was his intention to cause as much distress for Royal Mail as possible.

"Mr Dawson said he considered he had been wrongly dismissed and he had got on the roof to draw attention to how he had been unfairly treated by management."

Nick Ryles, defending, said: "There is a history to this case and it has had long-term effects upon Mr Dawson. He has been prescribed anti-depressants and although his depression is not of a psychotic nature, it may have clouded his judgment.

"He was clearly upset by the way he had been treated and undertook the protest because he felt aggrieved.

"The main purpose of the protest was to highlight the way in which he and his former colleagues had been treated. It was not his specific intention to disrupt Royal Mail and he did offer a public apology."

After the hearing, Mr Dawson, who has worked for Royal Mail for 20 years, said: "It's disappointing I didn't get a result today as I wanted to draw a line under the court proceedings and try to move on with life.

"I found out the appeal did not go my way so I've applied for an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.

"That could mean it dragging on for another six to 12 months but I believe I was unfairly treated by Royal Mail and want some justice."

Royal Mail declined to comment.

[norbert]

so RM get the Police and the CPS to put him on a criminal charge to teach him a lesson as closing ranks themselves isn't quite good enough ? . The protests are not something I'd recommend but it wasn't the first roof top protest there and there is understandable frustration with the nasty RM machine .

Technically he's guilty and he did right by pleading guilty otherwise the court would teach him a lesson for p***ing them about when sentencing .

He may be doing right by taking RM to Industrial Tribunal and calling their bluff though the charges could be deemed as correct . Sounds like Strangeways . RM's arrogant Senior Management originally must have wanted Burslem badly as a scalp , they'd have hoped that the rest of the country would fall like stacked dominos .

http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=589&issue=124" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Tribunals & Tribulations

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/ne ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ( First Protest )
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/7059" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - the irony is that the comrades are not really needed to stir things up

Even the corporate union bashing & pro privatisation Hellmail site stated that neither side comes out with much credit . Opening up a can of worms again which may backfire on RM ?

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=1 ... &ref=share" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; not the only protest

QUOTE : " Steve Acheson, Unite union member, was unfairly selected for redundancy from the Fiddlers Ferry power station construction site, Warrington, Cheshire in December 2008.
He has protested outside the gates with his banners now for 12 months.
In October 2009 the power station owners attempted to secure an injunction against Steve's protest in the High Court of Chancery, London, at a cost of around £20,000.
With help from his union, Unite, and ordinary trade unionists up and down the country, the injunction was thrown out, in the words of the judge, as "fanciful bordering on paranoia".
His protest and fight for re-instatement, continues. "

[La Poste]

In October 2009 the power station owners attempted to secure an injunction against Steve's protest in the High Court of Chancery, London, at a cost of around £20,000.

There's allways plenty of money available when they want to shaft you

With help from his union, Unite, and ordinary trade unionists up and down the country, the injunction was thrown out, in the words of the judge, as "fanciful bordering on paranoia".

This sounds encouraging.

[norbert]

Yes that Steve guy was blacklisted as a Unionised " troublemaker " - many of these building firms are true blue Tory to the bone , they don't do unions .

http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.c ... 8-25356273" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles ... tions.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ( Ricky Tomlinson Jailed for conspiracy in the 70's )

[La Poste]

Wow. My opinion of Ricky Tomlinson has just shot through the roof.
I remember him in a film called Riff Raff. Great film.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100491/
After reading that article it all makes sense now.