Need advice been dismissed after 33yrs service

paddedjohn wrote: »

Troll alert ��������

Why?

Maybe, maybe not, but the points are valid for other posters.
(A) The OP is in a union so that is where they should turn for advice
(B) Just because something is common practice, or other people do it, does not mean that someone cannot be dismissed for it. The OP appears to agree that they have done what they are accused of; and these are serious allegations. Dismissal for gross misconduct would be well within the range of outcomes available to the employer. I can see no reason why the dismissal is not fair. Nor do I expect it to be the last one, now that the employer knows that others are doing the same thing.
(C) The OP appears to suggest they may have been a union official of some type. If you are a union organiser, then you need to be squeaky clean - you never give an employer an opportunity to discipline you. You also have a responsibility to point out to others if they are putting their own employment in jeopardy through their own actions, and if misconduct is commonplace you need to make it clear to your members the consequences of misconduct - not join in!

TELLIT01 wrote: »

To the OP, sangie595 is the expert on all things 'union' from what I have read over the past couple of years, so I would certainly put more weight behind his/her comment and information than that of some others who may post into the topic.

Thank you, but to be fair, it's a "simple" relationship. No sensible employer, and even when they are vindictive or wrong, councils are "sensible", wants to face a claim for unfair dismissal for trade union activity. Hence why you have to be squeaky clean on everything else if you are a union officer. Because it's the other stuff they go for. If there is a hint of dismissal because of trade union membership/ activity, then it doesn't matter what else the employer has on you - you rush that it is automatically unfair. Nobody wants to go there. And I'm guessing that the OPs union has told them that - they can't win a tribunal. Probably why they are here.

And I get it. I even have some sympathy because I can take a good guess at the type of work they do, and whilst it is wrong, in those jobs there is a culture of false timekeeping, cutting corners, and not actually working when they should. A culture that should never have been allowed to exist in the first place, but runs deep - to the earliest days of councils. It's management's fault for allowing it to exist and to continue. But there's a new culture in management - sack everyone they catch doing it. It's black and white. And it's a great way for them to reduce the workforce without paying out redundancy. I don't know any public sector union that doesn't know about this. Out of probably 16 councils within 50 miles of me I can confidently say that the vast majority have dismissed people for exactly these reasons. And the worst thing is that whilst I have sympathy, they are right to. False timekeeping and misuse of council resources was never acceptable and isn't right. But equally, that should have always been the view of management, and the fact that it was not only condoned, but even encouraged, means that older workers are being disproportionately dismissed for doing what had always been accepted as a "perk" of the job. I can't help but feel for people in that situation, even if they are in the wrong.

I can see why the first person thinks this is a troll post, I'm undecided.