TWO BUS DRIVERS SUSPENDED FOR BEING TOO FAT'LOSE WEIGHT OR

[Daanyeer]

Two bus drivers suspended for being too fat told 'lose weight or lose your pay


'By Daily Mail Reporter
13th October 2010

Two bus drivers have been suspended - for being too fat.

According to union bosses, the men were sent home and told that if they don't lose half a stone over the next four weeks they face having their pay docked.

And colleagues at Blackpool bus depot said the drivers were warned that if they fail to shed the weight they could go without pay for up to a year.

John Boughton, Unite regional industrial organiser, said: 'There are currently two men suspended, with full pay, who have been told they need to lose 7lbs in the next four weeks.
'If they haven't lost this weight in this time, they have been told they will go on unpaid suspension for 12 months. We are currently dealing with this internally.

'We have a meeting on Monday when I hope we can all sit round a table and talk about this sensibly.'
It is understood the drivers in question weigh about 20 stone and have been told to lose weight due to health and safety fears over drivers' seats.

A colleague of the suspended drivers who did not wish to be named said staff were fuming. 'We all think it's a disgrace. It's discriminating against them.
'The company has been trying to find ways to get rid of people and have been acting in extremely underhand ways - using medical conditions as excuses.

'Why can't they give incentives to lose weight rather than send people home, with the worry of possibly losing pay in the future? These men are very upset.'
Trevor Roberts, managing director of Blackpool Transport, said talks were now ongoing between management and union officials.
He said: 'The matter in question is a result of a health and safety assessment and a full risk assessment, which is done privately between the employer and the employee.

'No-one has been dismissed. Anyone who may have been suspended is on full pay.

'It is premature to discuss this matter before it reaches a full conclusion. We are in talks with union representatives at the moment and there will be a meeting shortly, but nothing at all is finalised.'
But Simon Blackburn, leader of Blackpool Labour group, was dumbfounded. 'It's an incredible state of affairs when a transport company takes this action,' he said.
'This is the latest in a series of cavalier actions taken by Blackpool Transport.

'The role of a tram or bus driver is naturally a sedentary role, and there must be better ways of managing issues such as this - and it is not for your boss to tell you you have to lose weight.'
Blackpool Council is the only shareholder in Blackpool Transport, and a council board sits regularly to discuss matters relating to the transport company. The next meeting is due ton Friday.



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