Monday 26 January 2009

Another reason to leave Townsville

Townsville Engineering Industries need to keep their perverted eyes out of the bog.

They state that they "have adopted a pro-active approach to management of Workplace Health & Safety." This seems to mean that the follow their workers to the toilet to see how they do their business!

So it was late last week that one of their workers, 43 year old Amador Bernabe was followed to the staff toilets by management, to "see how he used it".

According to his cultural habits, Amador uses water to clean himself instead of toilet paper. So? This is a European tradition as well.

The Townsville Bulletin reports that Townsville Engineering Industries sacked him yesterday for "not going to the toilet the Australian way."
  • "I went to go to the toilet and I took a bottle of water when my foreman saw me and he said `you can't bring the water in there'," Mr Bernabe said.

    "I asked why and he said it wasn't good but I said it's our way and he followed me into the toilet. I said it's my personal hygiene. I didn't break any law, I didn't break any rules of the company, why can't I do this, and he said he would report me to the manager.

    "The next morning when I came in I went to punch my time card and he told me the manager wanted to talk to me in his office. He asked me what had happened and I explained to him and he said if I didn't follow the Australian way I would be immediately terminated and I said `sir, then you better terminate me'."
"Our Workplace Health & Safety is continually under review and pursued at all levels," the company profile says. "New employees are inducted into our work environment."

Amador has a working visa from the Philippines, so it seems that this company likes to hire staff from overseas, no doubt at a cheaper rate. I think that this is rather 'un-Australian'.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

6 comments:

Xara-Users said...

It is also an unlawful act to discriminate based on religion and culture, much less sack someone for it.
Rather than be ashamed (which I doubt they would be), they should be made an example of.
I'm almost speechless.. Disgraceful.

Anonymous said...

So when the boss of this company goes to the Philippines to recruit his cut-price workers, does he expect to be forced to adopt the local toilet customs and use his finger and water instead of toilet paper?
That is what would happen if he was in charge.

Anonymous said...

It is my understanding the law clearly states a minimum number of toilets per head of employee. There have been up to 60 men working within the boundaries of Townsville Engineering Industries at one time with only two male toilets available to the workers and 1 locked disabled toilet and one for the managers fat paper fed rectum.

Anonymous said...

TEIs response on there website is quite legitimate l wouldnt want to go into the toilet if somebody leaves such a mess as stated by management in there letter

Anonymous said...

There are always some stories that have two sides, neither of which will ever be heard objectively. This is one of them.

Unknown said...

According to his employer the Filipino guy made a mess of the toilet and if that's the case I can understand that his fellow workers were unhappy. Maybe he was inspired by the state of the average male toilet in local shopping centres and pubs and believed that was the norm.

According to this article there might be worse to come :

"Melbourne, July 6 (ANI): More and more kids in Australia are being sent to school in nappies, as parents are not willing to toilet-train them.

With the introduction of the prep year, children as young as 41/2 are starting full-time schooling, which has led to the explosion in nappies in the classroom.

With the demands from teachers’ groups that nappy-wearing children be banned from attending school, Education Queensland has been compelled to drawing up a toilet-training fact sheet.

Teachers believe the increasing use of full-time day care also has promoted a culture where it is normal for three and even four-year-olds to wear nappies and most of the kids are given toilet training between two and three years.

Parents and Citizens Council said it was an issue affecting “dozens” of prep classes in the state, and it had been inundated with complaints from parents.

State School Principals Association president Norm Hart has written to Education Queensland, citing concerns that the problem could result in litigation - with teachers possibly accused of molestation.

“Toilet training is a parental responsibility and not something that should be taught at school,” News.com.au quoted Hart, as saying.

“There are increasing concerns for staff members about the risk of litigation that may arise from toileting, washing and dressing students,” he added.

Parents and Citizens Council president Margaret Black said: “How parents choose to toilet-train their children is up to them, but they need to train them before they get to school.

“Other children do notice if a child is wearing a nappy and they will tease someone for it,” she added. "

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/no-time-for-toilet-training-aussie-kids-trotting-off-to-school-in-nappies-re-issue_10068407.html