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.
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