Health and Safety? (Lymington sacking)

[jon0844]

Given how off topic this all is, and how offended some people have been for finding out that papers have specific editorial policies and styles, I am happy for the mods to prune the thread and remove all of the discussion about The Sun, Daily Mail and others.

All I would say is; buy the paper you enjoy reading. Far better to have a paper you read from cover to cover and learn something, than buy something that you skip through and read nothing.

The bigger concern isn't how something is written, but WHAT is written, and how accurate it is - or how sensationalised it is. That is, however, a growing problem for all papers and media.

 

[Greenback]

I don;t think it is that off topic! IThe discussion has grown out of the reports about Ian Faletto's sacking, mostly because of the way it has been reported in several newspapers.

Still, it might be better to leave those sorts of discussions now, and wait for any further developments with the original story!

 

[The Barlow Boy]

Brilliant , thanks for that put down there. Im guessing i better tell my boss that i have to low a mental age to do the job i have been doing exceedingly well for the last few years so that he may sack me and employ you because you are so high brow and can lord it over everyone else with your smart remarks.



your arrogance is actually far far worse then what the sun reports on believe me.

Your diatribe would read better if you could use your superior intellect to learn how to spell and insert punctuation.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Mental ages have nothing to do with it.

Mrs Leigh (who works as teacher in a centre for kids with speech and language difficulties) did once tell me a real nugget, the precise details of which currently escape me and I'm not going to go and wake her up now to obtain them. However, an independent assessment of The Sun by education professionals discovered that the writing and language used were suitable for someone with a reading age of something in the region of 8.

Please note, there is a difference between a reading age and a mental age, even though the media sometimes report the reading age of an individual to infer that they are a bit thick or under-developed even though this is not necessarily the case.

O L Leigh

That's what people can't always understand. Well put!

 

[kennethw]

To get back to Ian Faletto, this weeks Lymington Times reports that some 6,500 have supported the petition to reinstate him. The letters page similarly comes from individuals who are in full support of him and stay on the theme of 27 years of service and the fact that he was only trying to prevent an accident.

In view of replies in another thread on this forum, I am only reporting what the paper has published, not my own opinions regarding the matter

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I think that if some of those 6500 people actually knew something about railways, and the procedures in place for these events, along with Ian's past record, they would change their minds.

 

[EM2]

Mind you, when it comes to the Daily Mail there probably are as many people who read the paper (well, the online paper - given they wouldn't pay for it) just to be outraged by 'what they've said now' as buy it because it reflects their views.

I am convinced that the DM website gets so many hits because people keep sending links to each other saying 'Have you seen what Littlejohn/Moir/Phillips/Jones have said today?'

 

[Flamingo]

To get back to Ian Faletto, this weeks Lymington Times reports that some 6,500 have supported the petition to reinstate him.

Ten thousand lemmings can't be wrong!

 

[jon0844]

I am convinced that the DM website gets so many hits because people keep sending links to each other saying 'Have you seen what Littlejohn/Moir/Phillips/Jones have said today?'

Absolutely. I am on a number of forums about a range of subjects and everywhere you go - on any subject and interest - you get these types of links.

I do often pick up a free copy of the DM on a plane to see how bad it is. But, a reader is a reader! Advertisers won't be fussy.

The Daily Mail makes a fortune online. Think of the hits they get by allowing comments, which are usually about 40-50% made up of people slagging the story off!

 

[kennethw]

There is also the rumour put about by the Lymington Times that part of the reason for his dismissal is the desire by SWT to dowgrade Lymington Town to an unstaffed station.

With so many employers turning to agency staff because of the difficulty in dismissing staff, my last job in London involved removals, everyone on the shop floor was employed via an agency, one would reason SWT, whatever their motives, would make sure they had a watertight case regarding this dismissal. Once an employee has a contract, its dammed difficult to fire them, and if it was proved tat Ian's dismissal was unfair...well, that would really be a case of the brown stuff in contact with the rapidly revolving cooler for SWT

The media are painting the picture of the helpful chappie, 27 years of service, many awards, now out of a job

Anyway, the world is coming to an end at 11pm tonight so everybodys problems will
be solved so reported on the BBC news

 

[Greenback]

I doubt it has anything to do with plans to destaff Lymington Town. SWT would still have to obtain permission from DfT to reduce the hours of the ticket office, neve rmind get rid of it altogether.

 

[kennethw]

Yes, I think that this is a rumour started by the Lymington Times. I was not the one who commented that Felatto's move from Salisbury to Sway, then to Lymington seems to have a parrallel with the civil service - in not being able to sack problem members of staff, the next best option is to move the person to somewhere where he or she can cause the least amount of trouble

 

[Greenback]

The Civil Service can sack problem members of staff. My mate was sacked by the DVLA in 1990 after setting fire to a tablecloth during the staff Christmas party!

Before that he had been warned for giving out medical advice to drivers with health problems, despite not having any sort of medical training!

 

[jopsuk]

I'm similarly sceptical that sacking the staff member would be much help in closing the ticket office- but has it been open since he got the boot?

 

[kennethw]

will check later this week as it is only open mornings. Can someone confirm where the trolley incident took place as the media are reporting it at the Town station, but it seems to have taken place at the pier station which if so makes the "train crash" scenario a bit ridiculous

 

[ralphchadkirk]

There is a video interview with Ian on the Bournemouth Echo website. According to him now Brockenhurst told him he had T3 possession, and that other members of staff had got trolleys off the line before.

 

[jopsuk]

Surely no signal box would give a proper possesion to a non-PTS member of staff, it being very much more that their job is worth?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I reckon he's just done some reading and a T3 possession sounds like an appropriate thing to say he had.

 

[Hydro]

There is a video interview with Ian on the Bournemouth Echo website. According to him now Brockenhurst told him he had T3 possession, and that other members of staff had got trolleys off the line before.

Ah good. He can use the handsignalman who put the boards and dets down for the T3 to testify on his behalf.


Oh, wait....He's a ticket seller. Not a PICOP. Gratuitious use of terms he doesn't understand, I think.

 

[DarloRich]

Ah good. He can use the handsignalman who put the boards and dets down for the T3 to testify on his behalf.


Oh, wait....He's a ticket seller. Not a PICOP. Gratuitious use of terms he doesn't understand, I think.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM - yes i am sure you got a T3! :roll:

 

[Via Bank]

will check later this week as it is only open mornings. Can someone confirm where the trolley incident took place as the media are reporting it at the Town station, but it seems to have taken place at the pier station which if so makes the "train crash" scenario a bit ridiculous

The incident appears to have taken place at Lymington Pier, but Faletto worked in the ticket office at Town Station. (Pier, aside from having an extremely low linespeed due to the fact it's a terminus, has only one platform and virtually no facilities - definitely not a manned ticket office.)

Of course, the "derailment" scenario is completely and utterly ridiculous, regardless of whether it was Town or Pier.

 

[jon0844]

I can picture the scene where a train comes in at 5mph, sees the trolley, and then coasts slowly towards it - before tapping it and BOOM! it explodes (like the car chase scene in 'Top Secret!')

 

[CarterUSM]

Maybe it was the trolley used in jackass: the movie?

 

[kennethw]

yep, I've found it headed "health and saftey gone mad ?"

 

[kennethw]

I can picture the scene where a train comes in at 5mph, sees the trolley, and then coasts slowly towards it - before tapping it and BOOM! it explodes (like the car chase scene in 'Top Secret!')

Like it! revenge of the shopping trolley?

There's another thread on the same subject, with a post where a member of SWT gave the following information

Faletto was employed as a ticket clerk, at a station quieter than this one, apart from the issuing of tickets, his only duties were to keep the platform and station area (implied not the tracks) clean. He had no official duties at any other station than Lymington Town. Statements made by the media implying otherwise are not true
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
toadys local news has the story that the petition will be delivered to SWT. SWT says that he committed a serious breach of saftey. They understand the feelings of the local community, but will reveal the full facts at the forthcoming tribunal

 

[HugePilchard]

Maybe SWT could reinstate him, and give him a job in their press office? He seems to have a certain flair for the job!

 

[tempests1]

Maybe SWT could reinstate him, and give him a job in their press office? He seems to have a certain flair for the job!

He could also go to the training school at Basingstoke and be a trainer & tell the staff how not to do things!

 

[kennethw]

I don't think that would work, because it seems that the issue leading up to his dissmissal is the insistence on doing things his own way - perhaps his theme tune should be "I did it my way" Sinatra etc, has been discilplined, moved to Sway, there were again issues there, then to Lymington.

SWT will reveal the full story at the tibunal, the sad thing is that he seems a good guy in many ways, but his enthusiasm has worked against him, he has not heeded warnings regarding his conduct, the tracks are dangerous, and you can't have a member of staff just saying "I need to go on the tracks, just put a call through to the signalman and off I go"

 

[ralphchadkirk]

As Hydro said, I'm sure his handsignalman will be more than pleased to vouch for his T3....

 

[kennethw]

Here is the report by the Bournemouth Echo regarding the petition.

A delegation, headed by the Rev. Alex Russell and Desmond Swayne MP went to SWT HQ London to present a petition of some 8,000 signitures requesting the reinstatement of Ian Faletto. On arrival, only the Rev. Russell was permitted to enter, Mr Swayne felt the others being denied entry was a very poor show, and would be raising the issue in Parliament.

SWT issued the following statement. It noted that this was a publicity stunt, and also noted the desire to create confountation. This had been also directed at construction workers who are not SWT employees

This would not alter the facts. The facts regarding Mr Faletto's dismissal are substanitally different to the seriously innaccurate picture painted to date. The case has been reviewed and is now closed. We will not carry out any further review of this case.

We will ensure that the full facts regarding what was a serious breach of saftey regulations are made public at an employment tribunal if so required.

There is another thread on the same subject and a post made by someone who is a manager and says he has a member of staff just like Felatto who seems to live in a world of his own, calls himself stationmaster and so on. This individual became rather upset at an unnanounced audit, where it was found that he shut the ticket office to go shopping

Wonder whether the "train crash" scenario has been invented by Faletto or his supporters to try and justify his actions going to the vicinity of the tracks to remove the trolley. If he had contacted his superiors and followed their advice would still have a job

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Here is the report by the Bournemouth Echo regarding the petition.

A delegation, headed by the Rev. Alex Russell and Desmond Swayne MP went to SWT HQ London to present a petition of some 8,000 signitures requesting the reinstatement of Ian Felatto. On arrival, only the Rev. Ruessel was permitted to enter, Mr Swayne felt the others being denied entry was a very poor show, and would be raising the issue in Parliament.

SWT issued the following statement. It noted that this was a publicity stunt, and also noted the desire to create confountation. This had been also directed at construction workers not employed by SWT.

This would not alter the facts. The facts regarding Mr Felatto's dismissal are substanitally different to the seriously innaccurate picture painted to date. The case has been reviewed and is now closed. We will not carry out any further review of this case.

We will ensure that the full facts regarding what was a serious breach of saftey regulations are made public at an employment tribunal if so required.

There is another thread on the same subject and a post made by someone who is a manager and says he has a member of staff just like Felatto who seems to live in a world of his own, calls himself stationmaster and so on. This individual became rather upset at an unnanounced audit, where it was found that he shut the ticket office to go shopping

Wonder whether the "train crash" scenario has been invented by Felatto or his supporters to try and justify his actions going to the vicinity of the tracks to remove the trolley. If he had contacted his superiors and followed their advice would still have a job

I can't believe that is actually the Bournemouth Echo's report, with so many spelling mistakes.