Another case of the managers taking things too far i see / Coastguard team resign

[bekisman]

Ahem:

http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=104152

Yes, I am fully aware that this subject was already posted on a different thread, but I was so disgusted I wanted to bring it up again.. Nah, I just did not see the other one - I'm getting too old for this lark! Can a mod merge or delete or something?
Ta Northener

[trix]

i think its crazy....i da ken 'e manie but iv herd alot o' guid things aboot him.

if ma boss swore 'at me i wid probly be a bit taken back, she niver wid as she is superduper professional, but if she did, then apologsed i wid think alot o' her as it shows that she is only human.

perhaps 'e guy who forced his resignation should apologise publicly, then maybe 'e service wid be able til continue wi' its full capacity o' staff.

wonder if he feels a bit o' a plonker now, or dis he still stand by his decision

very holyier than thou.....if ye ask me!!

[wicker8]

i know mr macleod well hes a very good citizen of this society he was a dedicated man one wrong word and it ends like this a bit over the top if you ask me

[~~Tides~~]

I hardly think seven committed volunteers would walk away and leave people at risk just because their mate didn't like getting told off by the boss. There's more to this than just a wee sweary, believe me.

Mr Macleod, has said himself that there was more to it than that. He is quoted in the Groat as saying there was a personality clash.

Everyone who knows Norrie, kens he is a topper of a man, as are his son and grandson, who also served in the Wick coastguard. Nobody should be treated the way he was after 44 years of service to the community.

A few years back I was in the ATC, and on a couple of occasions we did training things, abseiling and the like, with the coastguards, and I could appreciate the his professionalism then. He also gave time in giving lessons in VHF radio etc, which people in my family have benefited from, and he is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in that field.

There clearly wasn't a problem at a local level, given that Sandy Taylor apologised. Norrie is well known in the local community and has dedicated the greater part of his life to the service of that community, as has his family,. I have every respect for those that walked out, acknowledging this and the disgusting manner of his dismissal. As will, I believe, the community that he served for so many years.

The management have clearly got what they wanted, as shown by their 'we'll just hold a recruiting drive' attitude. But, as has been previously said, what they have got is the loss of hundreds of years of collective experience, and the tireless services of trusted members of the community.

[John Little]

Apparently he was accused of 'gross misconduct' by the jobsworths.

That's pretty strong language.

"good name in chiel an woman, dear ma lord, e immediate jewel o thur souls. steals ma purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'twas mine, 'tis his, an hez been slave till thousands;
but he at filches fey me ma good name
robs me o at fit-na no enriches him, makes me poor indeed. "


If someone accused me of gross misconduct just because I swore I should do the same as Mr Mcleod. It takes the power to throw such accusations out of the hands of those who make them and makes it his again.

He's clearly an honourable man; unlike those above him who have little concept of what their words mean.

[Sara Jevo]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this - and I imagine there is a lot more to it than a single episode of effing and blinding - the real victims here are those whose chances of survival may be diminished by this petty squabble.

[Tighsonas4]

I hardly think seven committed volunteers would walk away and leave people at risk just because their mate didn't like getting told off by the boss. There's more to this than just a wee sweary, believe me.

it seems quite obvious that there is a lot more than meets the eye to all this, as for the papers there more interested in getting a story than saving life tony

[wickscorrie]

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116352405041814&ref=nf&v=info#!/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=116352405041814

facebook group raising support to get our local folk reinstated, have seen Mr Macleod and the local coastguards in operation and have never found them to be anything but professional,
and if they were responsible for saving my life or one of my family and i was easily offended then i would just stick my god given fingers in my ears and let them get on with it

[bella]

It says that Norman Macleoad has served 44+ years and is son 20+ as a coast guards, now you would think that after such along time that if(and i dont believe it for a second) they were so bad at being in charge of a team that they would have been sacked a long time ago, and the team would have left along time ago insteady of sticking by them.

[northener]

I wonder how the local community would react to any new members taking up the positions of those who have left?

[jimbews]

I wonder how the local community would react to any new members taking up the positions of those who have left?

Will there be new members? Any comparison with what happened in Orkney and wonder if the situation has been engineered?

http://www.orcadian.co.uk/archive/2009/archive10.htm

[catran]

I think most people would have sworn to let off a bit of steam under pressure, and these guys more so when adrenalin is running high when on an emergency,

the article even says that mr macleod had said sorry and then received one back later after things had cooled down, which youd think would have ben the end,

so i also think there is more to it because i wouldnt every for a moment think that the coastguards would leave there area unmanned for the sake of 2 grown men having a tiff over swearing.

I was under the impression that coastguards were highly trained and would not let the adrenalin run amok in an emergency.
Surely a swear word could not account for all this upheaval by leaving the station unmanned.As Jim Bews says "Is it case of engineering?"

[wickscorrie]

655 folk have now joined the facebook group, interesting

[bettedaviseyes]

support him on facebook

[Moira]

This is one of these situations where the local guys, who have put their butts on the line over the years, should present a united front to Mr Ian Burgess and challenge the stupidity of his stance.

[Tubthumper]

This is one of these situations where the local guys, who have put their butts on the line over the years, should present a united front to Mr Ian Burgess and challenge the stupidity of his stance.

Can I ask, what was the nature of the 'gross misconduct'? It can't possibly have just been for swearing in the heat of the moment.

[Moira]

You can ask but I don't have the answers - sorry. I should have headed up my previous post IMHO.

[Tubthumper]

I suspect that the clash has been sparked by one of those 'Done it this way here for 40 years, why should we change?' vs 'The organisation has to adapt and modernise, like it or leave it' situations.
Which is very sad, for both sides. And for the people who have lost a valuable service because people can't see the other side.

[Moira]

I don't know why you would suspect that TT unless you have insider info?

[Kirdon]

I suspect that the clash has been sparked by one of those 'Done it this way here for 40 years, why should we change?' vs 'The organisation has to adapt and modernise, like it or leave it' situations.
Which is very sad, for both sides. And for the people who have lost a valuable service because people can't see the other side.

From the horses mouth, as the saying goes, Wrong!!. After having a chat with one of the team in question it appears approximately 7 months ago Mr Macleod brought up with lower management, an issue of the team missing callouts to Wick Airport (as Wick is a small place all the emergency services muck in). Lower management gave no backing so he had to go higher, eventually higher management tasked lower management to get it sorted out and the issue was put back to the original situation. Proving Mr Macleod right. 44 years as a coastguard and 27 years as a special constable and not even a verbal reprimand, 7 months after going to higher management he was put out by lower management? The words quoted to me were "WITCH HUNT".