APPEAL FAILS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3266, 21 May 1943, Page 5

APPEAL FAILS

dismissal from staff VALLEY POWER BOARD MANPOWER OFFICER’S DECISION . An appeal by D. A. Dillon against the decision of the Paei’da Manpower Officer in granting permission for the termination of his employment with the Thames Valley Electric Power Board was heard by the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee in the Paeroa Courthouse on Thursday afternoon. Mr J. 0. Liddell presided and associated with him were Messrs W. J. Truscott and K. Simpson. Mr G. P. Lindsay, assistant engineer of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, said that Dillon worked directly under his control. Dillon was engaged on December 18 when he applied for a position. Dillon at that time seated that he was Grade 3 for the Army and formerly had been working on a farm. He had not noticed Dillon’s -disability. Dillon had been put on the staff at •Paeroa. About a week later it was reported that Dillon suffered from a bad leg and was not suitable for the work. The overseer was advised to make tfe best of him because staff was'sso difficult to secure. Later it was reported that Dillon had been impertinent to the foreman and was undermining authority with the other men.

They still endeavoured to, keep Dillon until on one occasion Dillon refused to do a job the foreman had instructed him to . do. When the matter had been investigated Dillon was made to apologise to the foreman and was told to endeavour to do better in his job in future. He later fell out with his workmates. He also was absent without leave on three occasions. Could Not Do The Work Due to his disability he was not able to carry out the job he was employed on, especially in time of storm, said Mr Lindsay. To Mr Jones, Mr Lindsay admit-ted-he had not actually seen Dillon on the job. His information came from reports from the foreman and overseer. . Mr J. W. Rogers, junior assistantengineer to the Thames Valley Electric Board, substantiated the remarks passed by Mr Lindsay. He added that he had heard from others of the staff that Dillon was not getting on too well. It seemed that Dillon was not very keen on doing anything the older men told him' to • do. When trouble had occurred between the foreman and Dillon he had interviewed both men. The foreman had told Dillon to do certain work and Dillon had answered back in a manner to which the foreman objected. He had tried to patch the matter up and Dillon had apologised. His disability was such that it was unsafe for Dillop to be up ladders in time of a storm.

Mr J- H. Stevenson, overseer in the employ of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board stationed at Paeroa, stated that when Dillon reported he noticed he had a bad leg and considered he would not be able to do the job he had been employed for. He reported this to Mr Lindsay. He explained that when a new man was employed it was customary for tbe senior men to show him what was. to be done. Dillon would riot take instruction from his senior -workmates. He had not been able to send Dillon on all work because of his disability. He had found that there was a danger involved in using Dillon on some work because of his disability. Workmates Objected Because of Dillon’s disability he had not been able to do his full job and his workmates objected. After he had spoken to , Dillon about his behaviour there had been a definite improvement. He had always endeavoured to protect Dillon because of his disability ahd had tried to help him as much as possible. For Dillon’s own safety he considered he would be better in other employment. D. A. Dillon, assistant linesman, said he was engaged by Mr Lindsay who asked him if he had any previous experience and he had replied no. He had been able to do all the work offered to him although others had considered *he not ‘ able to carry it out. His work had consisted of digging holes and tree cutting and he had been able to do this. He had been told that the holes he had dug were a little wide but he had got them smaller. The only mention of his disability was that he would not Le xble to do any ladder work. He had been refused permission to do ladder

Cup. _ work when he had offered to do it. The reason he had applied for a transfer to Te Aroha was because the boardinghouse in Paeroa had closed down and he had had to move to an hotel which was considerably more expensive. To the board be admitted he could not go up a ladder as well as a fit man. His knee was permanently stiff. The appeal was dismissed by the board on the grounds of appellant’s physical uisabi-.iy.