Justice for Alison

Today, Workers’ Memorial Day, as we remember those who have lost their lives at work, Unite officers and members are fighting to have a health and safety rep reinstated after she was sacked for raising serious safety concerns at her work.

Alison Morris, a health safety rep with over a year’s experience was sacked for raising concerns about the lack of any working fire alarms in a five story office block.

Management at Change, Grow, Live (CGL), a leading drug and alcohol abuse charity, had been aware that there were no working fire alarms in the building for 24 hours, but nothing had been done to put it right.

“On International Workers’ Memorial Day, when we remember those who have died at work and celebrate the protections given to us by the 1974 Health and Safety Act, we should not be having to fight to reinstate a colleague who has merely undertaken her duties under that Act,” said Caren Evans, Unite regional officer.

Alison was an outreach worker at the charity and had previously worked within the NHS for 14 years before she was TUPEd * across to CGL.

CGL occupies two floors of the five story multi-occupancy Scala House building at Holloway Circus in Birmingham with at least 300 staff in at peak times.

Three other companies occupy the other floors with one sitting empty and an unused cinema in the basement.

Too busy

Alison was informed of the lack of working fire alarms in the building by a receptionist but when she raised it with management she was told they were too busy to discuss it. Alison’s regional officer, Caren Evans, told the lead rep to speak to the fire brigade for advice.

A fire officer was sent to inspect the building that evening. Alison was off shift but came back to show him round.

Upon inspection the fire officer said that currently the building could remain open as it was almost empty at that time of night but that if the problem was not sorted the following day he may have to close the building.

The fact that two floors sit empty was a big cause for concern as if an electrical fault resulted in a fire on one of them it could go undetected until it was too late to get people out of the building.

“This is one of the most extraordinary cases I have come across in my experience,” said Caren.

“Alison should have been praised for going the extra mile in her own time to protect her colleagues from death in fire, not dismissed for carrying out her duties,” she added.

Management claims that Alison deliberately misrepresented the fire officers’ advice even though she would have had nothing to gain from doing so.

She was dismissed for gross misconduct by senior management who claim she said the building ‘would close’ instead of ‘could possibly close’ – and this, according to the bosses, constituted as allegedly intentionally misleading management.

“Alison has been treated in the most horrendous way by a draconian management which appears to have a strong anti-union bias,” said Caren.

Unite has lodged an appeal against the sacking and also an unfair dismissal claim.

“We are calling for Alison’s immediate reinstatement after what can only be described as a drumhead court martial,” added Caren.

Today (April 28) colleagues and Unite activists will be demonstrating to have Alison Morris reinstated outside the offices at Holloway Circus, Birmingham B1 1BT between 12:00–14:00.

You can help Alison’s reinstatement campaign by signing the petition and sending a letter to David Biddle, Chief Executive of CGL. See here for more information.

* TUPE is an acronym for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, which first came into effect in 1981 and is to protect employees’ terms and conditions if the company where they’re employed changes hands.