A RAILWAY employee who was accused by the official sent to help him of

''using and abusing the union'', yesterday failed in his appeal against

unfair dismissal.

An industrial tribunal at Inverness was told that Mr Tom Gibson, 33,

an employee at Forres Station, was sacked for allegedly refusing to put

his signature to new BR rules on safety, drugs, and alcohol.

Mr Phil McGarry, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union's

Glasgow-based divisional organiser, told how he started out representing

Mr Gibson, of Benula Road, Inverness, in the fight to get his job back,

but ended up washing his hands of him.

The union official, representing 8500 Scottish members, said he twice

travelled north to represent Mr Gibson at appeal hearings. On neither

occasions did he show up.

Mr Gibson was then thrown out of the union when it was discovered he

had not been paying his dues.

Addressing Mr Gibson at the tribunal, Mr McGarry said: ''You were

using and abusing the union, and me, for your own ends.''

Mr Gibson claimed BR made an error about the date of the first appeal

hearing, and he had a hospital appointment on the second.

The company's lawyer, Mr Michael Lamont, said he was certain Mr

McGarry was not happy to be there giving evidence for the railway but he

had served a witness citation on him.