Co-op sacks employee for using ‘wrong tea bag’
Article published: Tuesday, March 29th 2011
A shop worker has been sacked by a Manchester branch of the ‘ethical supermarket’ in Didsbury for ‘using the wrong tea bag’. James Alden believes that he was deliberately targeted for refusing to submit to a biometric scanning system – and has slammed his ‘sham of a union’ who failed to support him.
James Alden outside the Co-op store on Burton Road in West Didsbury
Alden received his dismissal notice from the Co-operative Supermarket in West Didsbury last week on the grounds of ‘misappropriation of company stock’ – an offence which consisted of him selecting the wrong teabags from the supermarket shelf for use in the staff tea room.
Managers summoned Alden after he took a box of Twinings Lady Grey teabags and he was disciplined. Two weeks later he was sacked after bosses went through the computer system and found that he was not strictly adhering to one of the company’s policies.
“I always asked for ID for anyone that appeared to be under 25 but the company policy is that you must record estimated ages for people over 25,” Alden said. “I can only think that this is forcing staff to partake in the company’s market research.”
Really?
No previous warnings
He was pulled up by management for recording 30 and 40 rather than exact ages and the dismissal occurred despite having no previous warnings on his record.
“I am completely flabbergasted at the way that the Co-operative are treating me,” he said.
“I can’t believe that they can sack someone for something so trivial as using the wrong teabags at work. In all other respects I am a model employee, never having been sick or late once during my 11 years of service at the store.
“Normally dismissal for this type of offence would follow a record of persistent lateness, being rude to customers, bullying other staff members, that type of thing. I have never done any of these things.”
Singled out
However Alden believes that the management is singling him out for other reasons. Last year he refused to give a digital impression of his fingerprints for a biometric clocking-in system, as he felt that it was unnecessarily intrusive and he suspects that this could be the real motivation behind his dismissal.
“It would have required the company to have taken my fingerprints, as if I was a criminal, to be kept on an insecure database. I refused to take part and the company said at the time that this was okay.”
Alden told MULE how the supermarket chain failed to consult properly with its employees on the introduction of the biometric system, instead “advising staff strongly to comply.”
A spokesperson from the Co-operative stated: ““The individual concerned was dismissed from his position at our store on Burton Road following serious breaches of a number of our business procedures.”
Now several customers have now voiced criticism of the supermarket for its action.
Paul Heaton, from the band Beautiful South, said: “Throughout the Co-op store there are adverts promoting the company’s ethical and Fair Trade credentials. The decisions smacks of the very behaviour that the Co-op claims to be against.”
Rebecca Wilmott commented: “What is the point of the Co-op supposedly fighting for global justice when they don’t even bother to practice it at their own home?”
Alden says USDAW failed to represent him
‘Sham’ of a union
Moving beyond the allegation of workplace victimisation, the incident reveals the failure of a trade union to protect one of its member. For despite being a paid-up member of retail union USDAW – whose head offices are situated down the road in Fallowfield – Alden was not provided with any help or representation at his disciplinary hearings.
“I had a disciplinary hearing on March 9 so I rang USDAW on March 7 and they put me through to convenor Jim O’Neill who said he would ring me back. He called on the 9th to say he couldn’t attend and asked me to reschedule which was not possible.
“On the 14th I had my second discplinary hearing. I phoned the USDAW switchboard on the 10th and again on the 11th and was told that O’Neill would ring back but he didn’t, nor did the switchboard.”
Alden heard nothing further from his union and he was eventually sacked at a third disciplinary hearing on March 21, following which he phoned USDAW and was refused contact with the convenor by the switchboard, who again assured him that he would be contacted.
He spoke to MULE of his anger toward the union’s apathy.
“I have still not been rung back and I strongly advise anyone in USDAW to quit this sham of a union.”
USDAW were contacted by MULE but declined to comment on the case.
Alden will be appealing the decision of his former employer.
Michael Pooler
More: Manchester, News
Comments
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So much for theCo-op’s ‘ethics’.
By the way it runs a travel agency and a car dealership too! Not too clever for a company which allegedly cares about the planet.
There are plenty of people in the Manchester region and nationwide who know that the Co-op’s caring attitude is just aimed at customers – and middle class, affluent cutomers too, who choose not to look to closely at the Co-op’s business methods, especially those relating to employees. Ask the IT workers who were made redundant/outsourced or the regional office staff who were dispensed with in a manner the most capitalist companies would have been proud of.
I’m sure Mr Alden won’t be missed. He’ll be replaced by a 16yr old on lower wages, and those wages don’t compare favourably with those paid at Tesco’s or Sainsburys.
Comment by simon on March 29, 2011 at 11:22 am -
Worse than no union in a workplace is a corrupt or incompetent one
Comment by Withingtonian on March 29, 2011 at 11:33 am -
This is deeply unnerving, any local resisent knows james and how conscientious and principled he is. If the reason for sacking him was a breech of a number of staff procedures then a reasonable approach would have been a warning and a period of traing/development. Good luck James.
Comment by Boomer on March 29, 2011 at 1:45 pm -
Really good investigation into James’ plight, but for heaven’s sake why lead with the same daft sensational headline as the MEN (and the Daily Mail) when the tea bags are clearly irrelevant? It really does you no favours.
Comment by tickle on March 29, 2011 at 3:27 pm -
A disgusting way to treat someone with 11 years of service. I live on Burton Road and regularly shop at the Co-Op and the service at best is patchy, with checkout staff talking amongst themselves, giving customers little or no attention. James, however, I remember for always being polite and a pleasure to deal with. I’m certain he will move on to bigger and better things but this of course does not excuse a supposedly ethical organisation for behaving in such a way. And as for their age recording policy – good grief! I don’t recall being informed of this policy at any point and will certainly be buying any alcohol from Reserve and Tesco from now on.
Comment by Jen on March 29, 2011 at 5:54 pm -
I have had similar dealings with USDAW – they are, in my opinion – less than useless. I often suspected they just took union member subscriptions for the sake of it, since they always appeared to be on the side of management in any disputes. Methinks it’s time this particular union bit the dust, as it’s seems obviously powerless in these modern times.
Comment by Mrs Karen McDonald on March 30, 2011 at 7:38 pm -
I suggest a boycott of this store until he is reinstated?? Get tons of supporters and a facebook campaign going James and pick a saturday when trade is busiest and stand outside with banners. They aren’t that ethical when they are happy to receive 20m of taxpayers money to fund their extravagant new Headquarters expansion in the city centre, oh and i forgot about the 12million landscaping cost of the area around Miller St we are also being expected to pay for…since when does the taxpayer fund a private bank? A rumour is that Co-op threatened to pull out of Manchester unless we part funded the project so MCC the ever nodding donkeys said “yes sir”! James as you are aware its all political you are a threat to the capitalist status quo. Rise above them dont fear them and take them on. They can ill afford negative publicity. The press will help you.
Comment by Joanne Harworth on March 31, 2011 at 2:28 pm -
We should all take note how easy it is to loose a job, and how in-effective unions can be at protecting staff , at the most important times. Anyone know a good union i can move to ?
Comment by radiohead on April 3, 2011 at 8:20 pm -
Can you get in contact with me, something very similar has just happened with me at the co-op
Comment by Daniel Collett on April 7, 2011 at 5:16 pm -
Hi James looks like I’m in the same situation as you misapropriation of property ( hand gel ) have nt joined a union either . I would like to join ur fight for justice than to be pushed out over trivial petty reasons
Comment by Lisa on November 20, 2012 at 5:47 pm
The comments are closed.
