SN : fired for two boxes of Destrooper's ?

[airazurxtror]

http://www.lalibre.be/economie/actualit ... cuits.html
(in french) - extracts :

Gluttony can lead to dismissal at Brussels Airlines. Proof is: according to union sources, a steward of the Belgian airline was yesterday thanked for having swallowed two boxes of cookies (12 pastries) of the Belgian brand "Destrooper" reserved for "business class" passengers. The case dates back to May 23 and took place during a flight from Kinshasa to Brussels. The man, employed for years by Brussels Airlines, is a former steward of Sabena. He received his C4 yesterday afternoon.

"This is unheard of. This type of measure is totally new!" said one union official, furious. "We are talking about some biscuits and not a theft of perfume or other objects and gifts offered or sold in the cabin." According to the same union official, the flight conditions of flight attendants may explain the gesture greedy former employee of Brussels Airlines. "You should know that the crew is not entitled to a breakfast during a flight. How do you stay awake for hours, while the passengers sleep?"

An SN spokesman said the management never communicate about the reasons of a dismissal. "We invest in our people and we certainly do not dismiss lightly and not for a matter of biscuits." And he evokes a "repetition of incidents" about this too greedy steward. "In addition, Brussels Airlines meets the laws regarding meals for its employees," says the management.

According to other union sources, this reflects the "toxic atmosphere" that prevails in the Belgian airline.

[sn26567]

How did SN management know about the case? If the steward was denounced by a colleague, I would call this unacceptable. I do not see a passenger in his right mind introduce a claim for such a futile motive.

[cnc]

weird you never hear anything about ground crew getting fired for taking some old newspaper or catering from a previous flight

[RoMax]

From what I heard from people working for SN is that the reason for this goes way beyond two boxes of Destrooper's. That was just the final thing that let them make the final decision to fire him. He had a long list of things that weren't like it should be, reported by his superiors (chef de cabine?) on several flights.

SN knows that if they fire someone for just two boxes of cookies that the unions will jump on it like wild animals and they'll go to court. Currently the unions overreact, but they don't seem to go to court...something tells me that they know that they are not 100% right in this...

[Passenger]

Gluttony can lead to dismissal at Brussels Airlines. Proof is: according to union sources...

"...Proof : according to union sources..." is a contradiction. Unions don't proof anything. Unions only give their subjective vision of facts. Or in this case: they don't. Because they withhold other facts.

[Desert Rat]

Pirep:"Rats in the cabin, A/C needs fumigation"........

[regi]

I cannot imagine that a (large) company would fire an employee with many years of experience for "theft" of 2 boxes of cookies. Just from a money point of view: this person has cost the company a lot of money for training.

But...regarding the financial status , it could be that the airline used this opportunity to get rid off an employee without paying redundancy fee. ( many years ! ) It could be that this person didn't perform well. And/or that the airline needs to cut employment costs.

So watch out, employees of SNBA and certainly the people with many years on the roll...BB is watching . Advice: close Facebook/Twitter accounts, don't leave anything behind on the internet that can be traced as "private actions" during working hours.

[Charlie Roy]

I once worked at McDonald's where someone was fired for eating a nugget. And yes, a culture of petty theft can not be tolerated. You steal a biscuit, don't come crying to me when you get fired for it.

[b720]

I agree, although the incident sounds rather petty.. but stealing is stealing. I am sure that, as a cabin crew for years, he must have known the airline's policies regarding theft, or consumption of food items reserved for passengers or sales. 2 boxes of biscuits here, a few mignnonettes there, etc.. that can add up to hundreds of thousands of EUR per year, if every crew member feels free to serve himself/herself.

[papysn]

Hi,

Another proof of the very bad working sphere at Bru air.

they need to fire people, and if they don't have to pay for it it's much better...So they look after any reason,good or bad,and they use it.

Cost is the only point of interest for them...
Team spirit,humanity,happiness at work and good service are not anymore principles applicable at Bruair...

Too bad,as a good company alwas start with happy frontliners....

Regards.

K.

[b720]

outdated, ancient, and expensive labor laws should not serve as a protection for 'under achieving' personnel.. SN sees fit to fire him for many reasons..and if catching him red handed stealing!! makes it cheaper to let him go, so be it..he should have known better than stealing those biscuits!!

[CTBke]

nothing to do with sphere at Brussels Airlines.

It's stated in the contract that stealing can lead to getting fired so he was just dumb by stealing it ...

[Stij]

In most companies you go when you steal... even if it's just peanuts...
If you don't do it that way, it's difficult to draw the line between what's acceptable and what's not. Uncertainty is even worse.

Cheers,

Stij

[haflinger]

Hold on guys!!!

You talk about regular jobs. Flight attendant is not a "normal job". Eating a biscuit, driking a coke in a plane is not stealing as long as it not taken from the pax and as long as it's not kept after the flight.
For me a flight attendant is to be considered as a cook in a restaurant ("eating wise"), if the cook (or waiter) eats something after the clients has been served, nobody wil ever complain in a restaurant. So won't I in an airplane.

Just my 2 cents.

P.S.: In my company, you can't take something out of the airplane (normaly not even an open bottle of water or a read newspaper). I find it stupid, and I think they don't really care.

On the topic:

-The company has other "things" to complain. You don't fire someone for that.
-What happens in an aircraft stays in an aircraft. Which as***le reported this? Jealous colleague? I can't understand...

[RoMax]

-The company has other "things" to complain. You don't fire someone for that.
-What happens in an aircraft stays in an aircraft. Which as***le reported this? Jealous colleague? I can't understand...

Again, who says it's just about these boxes of cookies (except for the man himself and the unions)? Who says there weren't other things that happened?
And isn't it part of the job of the Chef de Cabine to report things that are not like it should be?

I don't know the whole story, but neither anyone else around here. And in my opinion you can't judge without knowing the WHOLE story and that's not just what the unions tell, or just what the SN management tells or just what the man (or his close collegues ) tells...

[CTBke]

Hold on guys!!!

You talk about regular jobs. Flight attendant is not a "normal job". Eating a biscuit, driking a coke in a plane is not stealing as long as it not taken from the pax and as long as it's not kept after the flight.
For me a flight attendant is to be considered as a cook in a restaurant ("eating wise"), if the cook (or waiter) eats something after the clients has been served, nobody wil ever complain in a restaurant. So won't I in an airplane.

that''s the thing it's about the boxes of cookies for the C class pax (not smal boxes but a give away for the return flight)

on topic ... it's not about the cookis but a lot more stuff ..

[papysn]

To ctbke:
"it not about the cookies, but a lot More stuff"

Could you please give us More details about this ? Sources?

Regards.

K.

[Passenger]

To ctbke:
"it not about the cookies, but a lot More stuff"

Could you please give us More details about this ? Sources?

Here are more details, from one of the press articles about this, with a short statement from the employer: Van de kant van de directie luidt het dat er nooit gecommuniceerd wordt over de reden van een ontslag. Het zou niet het eerste incident zijn met de steward. "Wij investeren in ons personeel. Een ontslag gebeurt niet lichtzinnig en niet voor een doos koekjes". Translated through Google.translate (a bit corrected): The board states that there is never communicated about the reason for a dismissal. It would not be the first incident with the steward. "We invest in our staff. A dismissal is not frivolous and not because a box of cookies".

Now, what about bringing up your sources - real sources, and not cheap union statements? I'm looking forward to see a copy of the C4 dismissal paper, stating "theft of two cookies". Because if it's indeed a dismissal for a theft of two boxes of cookies, belgian labour court will rule that this is not valid as cause for dismissal. The court will rule that a verbal warning was enough for this single incident.

(trust you know just like me that employers are afraid from labour courts because they always risk that one of the judges is appointed by the unions. Legally appointed, according to belgian law)

[RoMax]

Now, what about bringing up your sources - real sources, and not cheap union statements? I'm looking forward to see a copy of the C4 dismissal paper, stating "theft of two cookies". Because if it's indeed a dismissal for a theft of two boxes of cookies, belgian labour court will rule that this is not valid as cause for dismissal. The court will rule that a verbal warning was enough for this single incident.

If the unions knew they were true, they would have already gone to court (or at least said they will do that). They didn't so far...says enough to me...