Union says BK trying to smear worker to hide its bullying

Friday, 4 February 2011, 8:28 pm
Press Release: Unite Union

Union says BK trying to smear worker to hide its bullying tactics

Unite Union is hitting back at fast-food giant Burger King after what it describes as a nasty company attempt to besmirch the name of a young BK worker they want to sack for posting on a private Facebook page “Real jobs don’t underpay and overwork people like BK does”.

The company is alleging serious misconduct and threatening to sack Julie Tyler for posting the comment on a friend’s private Facebook page. They are relying on a photocopy of the page because the comment can’t be accessed publicly.

However faced with strong criticism today the company hit back suggesting the Facebook posting followed a “history of disciplinary issues that the union had ignored in its complaint.”

“This is a particularly snide comment” says Unite National Director Mike Treen “because it’s patently untrue but designed to smear this young worker. Julie has been at BK for 18 months and just last November faced the first disciplinary meeting in her life. She was not a union member at the time and was unrepresented at the disciplinary meeting. She was given a particular harsh penalty - final written warning - for what was a relatively minor incident. Now that the union is aware of this we will be filing a personal grievance on her behalf next week for this earlier incident.”

“The earlier incident bears no relation to postings on facebook. It is also a gross abuse of this workers rights to smear her in public when they are claiming an innocuous comment of being overworked and underpaid is grounds for dismissal.”

At the disciplinary meeting today the company adjourned their decision till Tuesday next week to obtain legal advice.

Unite organizer Andrew Tait (0294555979) will be with Julie Tyler at the meeting on Tuesday and the union is organising a nationwide “Justice for Julie” action to gather support for her before Tuesday’s showdown with the company.

In an ironic twist for the company a facebook page has been established to give her support “Justice for Julie- Freedom for Burger King Workers”
. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_161703380548299#!

ends

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Union says BK trying to smear worker to hide its bullying

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