The Roostery

Chapter 4 The Grufflo - or is it a kangaroo?

Introduction

This was the first attempted use of a sham disciplinary process by JJP and his minions to try to intimidate me. JJP appeared in the railway press shortly after becoming Chairman in autumn 2018 saying that he was intending to ‘deal’ with ‘troublemakers’. Such a warm fluffy statement from the new Chairman. This is, apparently, what he meant…

The Grufflo?

The Gruffalo, for those without children and grandchildren is a children’s book character and is a cross between a … er, and a … er … well, best just look at the pictures. Before Covid stopped the world turning the WSR did some reasonable business with a member of staff or volunteer dressed up as a children’s character at Minehead. Families came on the train for a ‘meet-and-greet’ and had their photo taken with the character. One weekend in late summer 2018, that character was ‘the Gruffalo’.

A member of the Minehead staff, a very pleasant lady, let’s call her ‘S’, had her picture taken with ‘the Gruffalo’ and posted it on her Facebook page with the comment: ‘I always wanted a big hairy chap and look what I got!’

At this time we were in the WSR plc interregnum of Chairman between Ian Coleby resigning, and JJP’s Chairmanship being announced. Speculation was rife on the Railway who the new Chairman was to be, not least because Ian’s resignation was unexplained. (See a later Chapter ‘How did we get here’ which will include the late-night telephone call to me from Ian seeking help to resist his being deposed) but more of that another time. We certainly did not know JJP was the likely candidate.

I reposted ‘S’s photo with the comment ‘New Chairman gets a warm welcome at Minehead’. This was responded to with a certain frivolity, including a comment that ‘S would make a good Chairman’.

Slow movement

JJP became Chairman.

Months went by.

Other things happened.

All the HR policies were removed from the HOPS platform at his order.

Called to a meeting

In late 2018, while on the Sandbanks Ferry in Dorset, I received a telephone call from Paul Conibeare, then WSR plc GM, asking me to come to a meeting at Minehead the following week.

‘What’s it about?’ I asked.

‘I’d rather tell you when you come.’ Said Paul.

This sounded distinctly fishy, so a battle of correspondence by e-mail then ensued with me refusing to come to a meeting without knowing what it was about, a Mexican stand-off for a bit, and then a grudging acknowledgement that this was to be a disciplinary hearing (which only increased my insistence on knowing what it was to about in advance).

Eventually, and with enormous bad grace, it emerged that I was to be charged with ‘breaching ‘S’s Human Rights’ (no less) and trespassing on ‘S’s’ reasonable expectation of privacy’ by my repost on Facebook. This was said to be gross misconduct. It struck me that whoever had drafted this had never heard of the Human Rights Act or the European Convention on Human Rights. Finding it hard to keep a straight face, I agreed to a hearing on a Monday morning in January at Minehead (which is about ten miles from where I live).

Daisy may pull it off, but Robin has a thought

While reading the disciplinary papers over the previous weekend – and which I had finally had confirmed were all that I would have to deal with - it occurred to me that there was NOTHING from ‘S’. No statement, no report. Curious, I thought.

With some trepidation (because she might be a ‘victim’) I messaged ‘S’ to ask if she remembered ‘the Gruffalo’ picture. She replied that she did. But she made no negative comment. I messaged to ask if we could speak. She rang me. I explained the position. She was horrified to hear I was subject to disciplinary proceedings and assured me that she had made no complaint and had found the ‘Chairman repost’ very amusing. She confirmed that no-one had ever asked her about this.

So, the whole thing was a put-up job. Boing! The Gruffalo WAS a kangaroo.

Endgame

I e-mailed the WSR plc personnel person and made plain what I had found out and expressed the view that the whole thing was beyond stupid but also an improper put-up job and an exercise in bullying.

While driving to Minehead on the Monday morning I received an e-mail cancelling the meeting but no apology. I read this when I arrived at Minehead. I insisted on the meeting going ahead. The personnel person and Operating Manager, Richard Jones, who was to have chaired the meeting, were very embarrassed. I asked to understand who was responsible for the put-up job. They would not say. I asked that that person should face disciplinary proceedings. They did not respond and looked even more embarrassed.

I went to Brambles café for a coffee and a bacon roll, not sure whether to laugh, cry or shout with rage. So I just ate my roll and drank my coffee.

And so, when I had calmed down sufficiently I drove home.

Conclusions

Richard Jones and Paul Conibeare have never been known to take the initiative. It is clear to me that the originator was JJP, the Chairman.

Disciplinary proceedings are serious. They are not there to be used as instruments of oppression. Anyone who uses them so is unfit to hold any managerial position.

The Roostery

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