Strike ballot over sacked postman

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/S ... 3830268.jp

POSTAL workers could take strike action in support of a colleague who was sacked.

Staff at the Royal Mail delivery office in Oakham may take industrial action to show their support for Lee Secker, who was dismissed after the van he was driving was stolen.

He had left the van unlocked while making a delivery in Cottesmore in October when it was taken. The van was later recovered in Uppingham but all the contents had been stolen.

The popular postman, who has worked for Royal Mail for 14-and-a-half years, is devastated that his appeal against dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct has been rejected.

He will now claim unfair dismissal at an industrial tribunal in the hope of getting back his job,

Mr Secker, 32, said: "I feel like I've been victimised. Surely everybody deserves one chance in their life, especially when you've worked for 14-and-a-half years and got a clean record.

"I love my job and I want it back."

After the van was stolen on October 11, Mr Secker was suspended for nine days, then moved to sorting office duties.

He received a letter in November saying he had been dismissed and heard earlier this month that the appeal he lodged in January had been unsuccessful.
Vince Quinn, Oakham unit representative for the Communication Workers Union, said: "Lee will get the support he needs to pursue the case. There will be an official ballot of Oakham delivery office with the view to taking industrial action.

"This is something that staff want to do. Some people are very upset about Royal Mail's decision to dismiss."

People on his patch in Cottesmore have already rallied to support village postman Lee.
More than 500 signatures were collected on petitions calling for him to keep his job lodged at the village shop, St Nicholas Primary School, Colin Easson Motors and Gainsborough Court sheltered housing complex.

Roly Easson, managing director of Colin Easson Motors in Main Street, Cottesmore, said: "He's a lovely bloke who always had a smile on his face. He was very efficient and approachable and very happy."

Mr Secker, of Wensum Close, Oakham, has been touched by the reaction of his friends, colleagues and customers.
He said: "I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me, especially people who wrote letters, made phone calls and signed the petitions. I really miss my customers and my work colleagues."

Last week his former work colleagues had a collection for him. He said: "I love my job, not many people can say that."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail does not comment on the details of individual cases and will defend our position at any tribunal."

The full article contains 456 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
Last Updated: 29 February 2008 9:07 AM

[axeman]

Be quite iinteresting as to how many have been dismissed in the last few weeks around the country ! seems they are out to reduce the workforce by any means posible ..so just how many have been dismissed in your areas ?

[norbert]

Be quite iinteresting as to how many have been dismissed in the last few weeks around the country ! seems they are out to reduce the workforce by any means posible ..so just how many have been dismissed in your areas ?

wasn't full time by any chance ? , Problem is proving what everybody else knows in a IT.

I like RM's siege mentality management attitude i.e . " We ( The Royal We ) will defend our position in any Tribunal" . Tribunal Staff must love RM .

However RM are not arrogant in any way whatsoever and only RM know best of course. A warning or probation would have sufficed though it is a sackable offence .

[Phantom]

Good luck to the lads and lasses at Oakham DO. Choose to go on strike on Saturdays and stay out every Saturday for as long as it takes. The managers who will be swept in don't like working weekends so it will also annoy them too, this always works. Its something we should have done in the national strike too.

[wranglered]

that's great advice phantom!

[Thorby Bislam]

Dont think I'm saying he should be sacked, quite the opposite in fact, but really, he was asking for trouble leaving his van unlocked. You (and I) should never leave a van unlocked. Not even if in a quiet area and we'll only be away from it a minute.

[oldrope]

The Q to ask yourself is would you leave your car unlocked full of shopping ect?. so why leave a RM van!!!! it may have had my mail inside.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The Q to ask yourself is would you leave your car unlocked full of shopping ect?. so why leave a RM van!!!! it may have had my mail inside.

Nothing wrong with that argument he should be punished. But he had a clean record for 14 years so perhaps a sacking is OTT. I would have thought a 2 year serious would have been enough, and perhaps couple it with a suspension from driving duties and make him a walking cover man for 2 years.

[dvbuk55]

There is little likelihood he will get his job back. We had a very similar situation where a lad who had worked for RM for about 11 years, whose father was a manager at another office, he was sacked for having his van with mail inside stolen despite a strong defence for his reinstatement he remain sacked. I have every sympathy with this chap and I sincerely hope he manages to buck the trend. There was very little support for the lad from our office because there was no real knowledge of what had gone on - really when the appeal came back as dismissed no one could quite believe that he had been treated so shabbily more especially so because both he and his Dad were really hard workers.

[DGP1]

The chances are that the keys were in the van (and the van probably running and door open) I mean how many of us have seen it (or even done it)

[Stormproof]

well at the chance of being unpopular

[jemima]

Vans shouldn't be left unlocked, ever. I understand RM's official position here. Sad but true.

But with the time pressure RM sometimes puts on drivers, it can be very tempting to save a few seconds whenever you can. You have to be very strong-willed and sure of yourself to be able to argue your point successfully with a manager who thinks you're taking longer than you should. You don't realise how long it takes to turn off the engine, secure the van, lock the doors (not all vans have electronic key fobs), restart the engine, etc., 100 times a day unless you've tried it. Especially if the engine won't always start first time. If there's any suggestion that this postie was being asked to get finished in a shorter time, then that would be a mitigating circumstance and he shouldn't be sacked. We can all make mistakes under pressure.