A smoker was sacked having a fag break at the factory where he worked.

Dad-of-one John Smith was sheltering from the rain in a doorway yards from an official smoking bay when he was caught.

Bosses at the Michelin Tyres factory, in Dundee, sacked the 35-year-old on the spot for gross misconduct.

But tyre technician John, who worked for Michelin for more than 12 years, says the firm, who recently made 100 employees redundant, took advantage of his offence to cut more costs.

He said: “My backside didn’t touch the floor after I was caught.

“But I would have been let off with a caution if this happened a couple of years ago. The company were letting a lot of the workforce go and they saw an opportunity to get rid of me for free.”

John, whose appeal against the decision was rejected, added: “It was pouring with rain and the smoking bay, which was a couple of paces away, wasn’t covered so I was standing in a doorway to stay dry.

“I couldn’t believe it when I was hauled in front of the management. I worked for Michelin for over 12 years and know how important fire regulations are in a tyre factory and I would never take risks.”

John, who has a 10-year-old daughter, is worried his pension and benefits rights will be affected because he was dismissed.

And after last week’s 650 job losses at Dundee’s NCR factory, he knows that competition for work in the city will be high.

Michelin, who are one of the city’s largest employers, revealed plans for “significant investments” to secure the plant’s long-term future last year – but at a cost of 10 per cent of jobs.

Yesterday, a company spokesman refused to discuss the details of John’s case.

He said: “Smoking regulations in the Michelin tyre factory are very robust for obvious reasons.

“There are signs throughout the plant outlining the rules and we have specific smoking bays for our workers to use.”

In August last year, machine operator Malcolm Muirhead was sacked for having a cigarette outside a paper mill.

The 39-year-old was outside the Tullis Russell building in Markinch, Fife, next to a heating unit when he was caught.

The dad-of-one claimed he had to smoke there because he was not allowed to leave the grounds during his breaks.

Malcolm, who has smoked for 22 years, said: “This is a very draconian way to deal with smokers.”

Source: Daily Record

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