Xt500 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 A polite parking warden who claims that he was sacked for refusing to issue large numbers of tickets is being supported by residents and traders in his fight for compensation. Hakim Berkani is also being backed by a vicar in his battle against Kensington and Chelsea council's parking firm NSL. Mr Berkani, 45, today took his claim for unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal in Holborn. Chelsea resident Alasdair Seton-Marsden, a former marketing director, has studied law so that he can represent Mr Berkani at the three-day hearing. In his witness statement, father-of-two Mr Berkani claims that "favours" and store vouchers were awarded to top-performing wardens. He alleges that his bosses cited one colleague as an "excellent example" for issuing 35 tickets in a single shift. Mr Berkani, from Wandsworth, was sacked for gross misconduct last February following more than three years' service, after tipping off a driver who was about to be given a ticket by another warden. NSL contract manager Paul Boxali told him in a letter: "You informed the owner of the car that a PCN (penalty charge notice) was being issued with apparent disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the issuing enforcement officer." NSL also claimed that the GMB union safety representative showed "disregard" for his line manager's "authority". Ten Chelsea residents and businesses were so appalled at Mr Berkani's treatment that they gave character references in support of his case. The Reverend Canon David Reindorp, of Chelsea Old Church, wrote: "Mr Berkani was courteous and tactful... I always thought he was an object lesson in how to do a tricky job well." King's Road wine merchant Edward Farmer wrote: "Since the council have been able to keep the financial surplus from parking enforcement, both I and other business owners and residents have noticed a serious deterioration. "One ray of light amongst all this madness and greed that is civil parking enforcement was Hakim Berkani. "Mr Berkani was in my and my business partner's opinion, an extremely rare and valuable thing: a public servant with an attitude of putting other people, in this case the public, first." NSL spokesman Nabil Hanafi said: "We instruct all of our officers to issue tickets according to clear rules and regulations. There is no financial incentive for NSL to issue tickets and we are very strictly regulated to ensure any tickets issued are legitimate." http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24025140-sacked-the-caring-traffic-warden-who-didnt-like-handing-out-parking-tickets.do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xt500 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Councils are just in it for the money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmith Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 A polite parking warden who claims that he was sacked for refusing to issue large numbers of tickets is being supported by residents and traders in his fight for compensation. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24025140-sacked-the-caring-traffic-warden-who-didnt-like-handing-out-parking-tickets.do Sacked: the caring traffic warden who didn't like handing out parking tickets I would imagine they didn’t want him to give people legally parked a ticket and only wanted him to issue tickets to drivers illegally parked, by refusing he is refusing to do his job and should be sacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Macbeth Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 This is the bit of the public statement that resonates with me:- 'Mr Berkani was in my and my business partner's opinion, an extremely rare and valuable thing: a public servant with an attitude of putting other people, in this case the public, first."' Isn't a traffic warden's job to stop people parking illegally, and to ensure people stick to the rules? If he was politely asking people to move on rather than just handing out fines, then IMO he was doing his job of serving the community in a way that the community appreciated. And shouldn't people working in the public sector be doing their best to help the public whenever its appropriate? It appears as if the council in question were mainly concerned about getting money in from fines and were completely target driven (35 tickets in one shift). I'm impressed by the support he has from local residents/taxpayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quisquose Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Lazy is spelt L A Z Y and not C A R I N G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 This is the bit of the public statement that resonates with me:- 'Mr Berkani was in my and my business partner's opinion, an extremely rare and valuable thing: a public servant with an attitude of putting other people, in this case the public, first."' It is inaccurate. He didn't put the public first; he put people parking illegally, first. There are already warnings that you face a fine for parking illegally. Usually, they're called yellow lines. The job of a traffic warden is not to replace the yellow lines by giving people a warning; it is to impose penalties on people who have chosen to ignore said warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ sheffield Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 All the usual moths to the flame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Macbeth Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 It is inaccurate. He didn't put the public first; he put people parking illegally, first. There are already warnings that you face a fine for parking illegally. Usually, they're called yellow lines. The job of a traffic warden is not to replace the yellow lines by giving people a warning; it is to impose penalties on people who have chosen to ignore said warning. If someone drives up to park on a yellow line and a warden is around, I'd expect them to direct the driver away, not just to ticket them. There is nothing to say the traffic warden in question didn't ticket illegally parked cars, just that he was helpful to people. Being target driven often does not produce the best results. It's a balance in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ sheffield Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 If someone drives up to park on a yellow line and a warden is around, I'd expect them to direct the driver away, not just to ticket them. There is nothing to say the traffic warden in question didn't ticket illegally parked cars, just that he was helpful to people. Being target driven often does not produce the best results. It's a balance in my opinion. You are factoring in a human element Ms, in this case you are preaching to the deaf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I'm just wondering, why if the attendants are doing their job to the letter why they would need "favours" and "store vouchers" as an incentive. If only one parked illegally within a shift then by definition the attendant would receive no favours or vouchers. Ticketing one should be as important as ticketing 35. If as suggested there is no profit, how are the favours and vouchers funded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.