LEGALNEWSII
Page 21
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• G A Transport had "cloaked" the real reason for the dismissal of lorry driver D A Jones, said a Manchester Industrial Tribunal when it held his dismissal to be unfair. The company claimed Jones had been sacked for the unauthorised use of a company vehicle. However, the tribunal felt the real reason for his dismissal was that they suspected he had been dishonestly selling or attempting to sell pallets belonging to a customer.
The tribunal heard that Jones was one of 15 drivers employed exclusively on a contract with ICI Paints Division, with the vehicles painted in the Paints Division livery. During 1988 management became aware that the number of ICI pallets returned to their Trafford Park depot was less than normally returned in other depots.
Shortly before Christmas, the company was told that vehicles in the ICI livery were visiting premises in Knutsford which dealt in the sale of pallets. The premises were visited. A large number of ICI pallets were observed, and a vehicle seen turned out to be the one driven by Jones.