Just as a recap Mark France was sacked for gross misconduct.
And bizarrely, it seems that the DWP are tracking Mark’s every comments (my blog was mentioned here in reference to the reasons for Mark’s sacking…and thanks to Mark for letting me know).
SU on the subject here.
The sacking is an attack on freedom of speech and civil liberties overall.
Mark France has an appeal hearing on 25th September at JobCentre Plus Regional HQ, Duchess Place, Birmingham.
Good luck with that comrade.
Good luck Mark!
The DWP continues to track me. Rather pointless as they don’t seem to do anything about it, however, I don’t see them having any legal authority to do so.
I would also like to say Good Luck to Mark!
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Presumably you would be supporting a BNP member in the same position?
I would comment on this matter but I’ve heard commenting on YOUR blog gets people into a great deal of trouble with their employers.
D’oh!
Good luck, Mark. Hope justice is done.
Astonishing that the DWP should consider comments on a blog to be evidence for a dismissal. That’s not how I remember civil service rules operating.
As Ten Percent has already pointed out, the delivery of the BBC Midlands reporter when saying ‘Harpymarx’ is just hilarious. Anyone would think she’d been forced to say some distasteful – I don’t know, ‘shit-monkeys’ or something.
I wonder what Sarah Falklands (now THATS a name to conjure with!)had the most problem with – Harpy? Or Marx?
Thank-you Sean and Kevin.
I was utterly truly shockingly gob smacked watching that video this afternoon and I couldn’t help but notice how the woman does indeed sneer ‘harpymarx’ with contempt and with a smattering of bemusement…. It caused me much laughter (and indeed what a fantastic name she has).
It seems like the DWP are watching every comment Mark makes, and uses it to victimise and witch hunt him. This is truly vile behaviour.
Wow, this is astonishing and sets a really dangerous precedent.
And I’ve often wondered why so many people find my blog by typing Benjamin Solah in Google. It could be my boss and future bosses.
Indeed Benjamin, and the scary thing is that managements are looking at FaceBook, blogs, and other networking sites… and they can do it as well, above board and legal.
It makes you want to be really careful about what you say online.
Yeah, and it is scary.
How can Mark’s employers look at themselves in the mirror?
Pettyfoggers and bureaucrats, are you reading this?
There’s some serious work to do at the DWP. There’s a recession and people queueing for help. Stop picking on an employee who was doing his honest work during working time (his personal hobbies, political affiliation and interent surfing was done IN HIS OWN time) and get on with YOUR work!
My most heartfelt solidarity to Mark.
Totally agree Claude. But it is worrying that the DWP were watching his every move/comment.
Indeed, hello to the DWP if you are reading this and haven’t got anything better to do…..
As the Monty Python team may have said if they knew the dubious methods used by the DWP, “No one expects the Department of Work and Pensions!” Cue evil laughs.
Good luck with your appeal Mark.
Since the DWP are presumably reading this I’d like to to take the opportunity to tell them they’re a bunch of authoritarian, nitpicking bureaucrats who have more important things to do with their time than waste money bullying their staff, like attend to the queues of people at job centres.
It’s stuff like this which makes me wonder if I shouldn’t have started blogging under a pseudonym…
Duncan: ‘I’d like to to take the opportunity to tell them they’re a bunch of authoritarian, nitpicking bureaucrats who have more important things to do with their time than waste money bullying their staff, like attend to the queues of people at job centres.’
I’ll second that…
Me too!
How can you verify a comment made on a blog, forum or social networking website?
I could use his name and make a comment: would they assume that it would actually be from him? After all they wont even see his email address.
As someone waiting for his tribunal date to arrive; DWP does cite extremely poor sources.
My tribunal papers contradict themselves. One moment DWP said one thing in “Facts of Case” and another thing entirely in the “Submission”. I just hope the tribunal see how inconsistant and false the claims made are. I am very confident in the case I have.
I’m not sure this is anything new or without precedent?
When I worked for a government department back in the 80s all of us who were politically motivated were well aware that public comment of a political nature, especially regarding your own department was a no-no. Even things like attending party conferences was a risky option, those who went would always be trying to avoid going anywhere near the cameras or ducking out of the way should one swing towards you.
Regardless of that, the action taken against Mark stinks and I wouldn’t be surprised if it in itself was ‘politically motivated’. Here’s to the DWP management getting hoisted on their own petard.
Good luck Mark!