Union threatens strike after driver’s ‘sickie’ to watch football match

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The Aslef union is balloting on strike action after a driver member was disciplined by ScotRail for ‘going to a football match after calling in sick’.

The driver was demoted and received a pay cut after bosses discovered he was actually in Germany watching a Rangers game.

Aslef said the driver received a pay cut ‘of almost £20,000’.

The union said it intends to ballot its 1,100 members working for ScotRail ‘seeking their support for industrial action’.

A ScotRail spokesman said:

“The driver’s deliberate failure to attend work meant trains were cancelled.

“That is unacceptable – to our customers, who want a reliable service, and to the company.

“It is deeply disappointing that our passengers could be made to suffer – yet again.”

Mick Whelan, the general secretary of ASLEF the train drivers’ union said:

“This is completely unjust. It means that this driver will be fined almost £20,000 for each year he remains working for the company.

“As he is 47, this means over £300,000 – and because it affects his pension it will go on beyond his working life.”

The result of the industrial action ballot will be announced on 16 February.

13 COMMENTS

  1. Surely ASLEF must agree that what this driver did was totally out of order and some form of disciplinary action has to be taken. Perhaps Mick Whelan would care to say how the driver should be punished instead of just calling for strike action.

  2. All you who gets out there. This is what a union does…. Backs it’s members. As far as I’m aware up to this incident this man had an exemplary record for the last 21 years. That’s 21 years of getting up at all sort of crazy hours, night work missing out on public holidays etc. So give the man a break. A final written warning would have sufficed with the understanding that any repeat and he’s up the road. I bet 90% of the bleeding hearts out there have done the same once or twice in their careers. Oh and as for Scotrail managers to come out with,” he let our customers down as trains were cancelled”. Think on. How many times a week do these managers cancel trains without one thought for their customers. Or short form the trains then people are left behind or wedged in like sheep going to market?

  3. KEVIN LINDSAY WILL USE BULLYBOY TACTICS AGAINST HIS MEMBERS TO GET THE CORRECT RESULT AT THE BALLOT.MR LINDSAY WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE DRIVER HAS AN EXEMPLARY RECORD IN 21 YRS DOES THIS INCLUDE” SPADS”.

    • Eh no David. ASLEF will issue individual ballot papers to all Scotrail members affiliated to ASLEF then each individual will make his/her decision whether to support the motion or reject the motion. Where does the bullying come into it? Also, will I make my point any better if I type my posts in CAPITALS?

      • cheap shot about the capitals.i know how it works when it comes to voting in a ballot as i was a member of ASLEF when i drove trains until Kevin Lindsay “SHAFTED” me and never showed any solidarity when he was in managements pockets and probably still is!!

        • Ah… Thought I could sense a “big chip on a shoulder” at the outset of your original rant. I too know how an ASLEF ballot works as I have been an ASLEF member (and still am), for the last 23 years. I still don’t see where the ability to bully comes into the equation when someone sitting in their own home decides which box to put their cross in, puts said voting paper back in the envelope, seals it then pops it in the post? Also your point about Bro Lindsy being in “the managements pockets”.if he was in the managements “pockets” why is he allowing/forwarding a motion for strike action at head office to support the driver in this case?

          • Firstly there is no chip on a shoulder,just anger at not being afforded the solidarity that is being shown in this case by ASLEFmembers.In 2004 i was caught using my mobile phone in Yoker yard doing 5mph with no passengers on board.Not exactly crime of the century.I sat for 6 months in the house on full pay while MR Montgomery and Mr Lindsay decided what to do next,and they both came up with the idea that it would be better to send out a positive message about mobile phones and i was demoted on the sliding scale to a station grade B.I had safety of the line offences when i first started driving and was also med -screened 7 times,all negative.Mr Lindsay new all the history and told me the best result for me was to get a directors review and to accept the sliding scale.I later found out that Mr Montgomery,Mr Jardine and Mr O Brien had been trying to get rid of me as i used to speak up at briefings and also at other times as well and i was classed as a trouble maker in their eyes.So i will leave you with the question that i asked myself-WHY DID ASLEF NOT AFFORD ME THE CORRECT SUPPORT AT THE TIME BY CONDUCTING A BALLOT FOR SUPPORTING ME.7 MED SCREENS IS A NO BRAINER TO ME.Mr Lindsay buried his head in the sand and did not want to know,i wonder why!!! 

  4. Surely exemplary record for 21 years here simply means he has never been caught before. What is his “sick” record for those 21 years? Are we really expected to believe that he’s never pulled one of these before? He should be sacked, as most people would in these circumstances.

  5. To attend match in Germany arrangements have to be made like tickets and travel in advance. Likewise you also arrange to take leave there is no excuse for chucking a sicky which in my mind is fraud. He knew what he was doing was wrong and should expect the most severe punishment. If this driver had an exemplary 21 year record then he would have wanted to make it 22 years without cause to do what he did. Of course the union is there to protect the interests of it’s members but if they do wrong as in this case, they should not expect the company or travelling public to suffer due to a breach of trust by one of it’s members. I just hope the more honest and hardworking union members will vote against strike action.   

  6. a week suspension without pay would be enough and final wriiten warning.
    this is draconian, i bet a manger wouldn’t receive this punishment for a sickie day to play a round of golf.
    people responsible for train crashes on network rail don’t get this sort of punishment.
    nothing but a bunch of hypocrites and bullies

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