10 May 2007

Police no longer the meat in the sandwich at Subway

The Green Party has welcomed the news that the Police have now decided to use common sense, exercise their discretion and drop their prosecution of sacked Subway worker Jackie Lang, Greens Industrial Relations Spokesperson Sue Bradford says.

"The sacking of Jackie for sharing a complimentary soft drink on her staff break with an upset friend should never have happened. The fact the company then called in the Police to lay criminal charges was utterly outrageous. After being unfairly sacked, Jackie was put through the trauma of having police officers turn up at her house, cart her off to a cell and charge her with theft.

"It is excellent that her name has now been cleared. However, it should not have required international media attention and a strongly fought campaign by Jackie's union and her local supporters to shine the spotlight on this injustice and get action on it. The Police should never have let themselves be seen as an extension of the company's persecution of this worker.

"Mediation will take place next week. Reportedly, staff relations are something that the individual Subway franchisee and its staff are left to sort out among themselves. This incident however, has done Subway outlets up and down the country no good at all," Ms Bradford says. .

"Bringing the brand into disrepute should surely violate the contract between Subway and its local franchisee. Right now, the multinational corporation and its New Zealand representatives should be taking a strong public stand against the actions of the Dunedin outlet concerned - both on behalf of their other franchisees, and to ensure that Jackie Lang gets her job back," Ms Bradford says.

ENDS

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