Cleaner sacked from job for taking leftover sandwich mentioned ‘unfair’
- Gabriela Rodriguez, 39, was axed after serving to herself to the £1.50 sandwich
A single mom who was sacked from her cleansing job for taking a leftover tuna sandwich from a regulation agency kitchen says she suffered ‘unfair and inhumane’ therapy.
Gabriela Rodriguez, 39, was axed by contractor Total Clean after serving to herself to the £1.50 Tesco sandwich on a discarded platter for staff at City regulation agency Devonshires.
Speaking solely to MailOnline, she revealed how she had been left in tears and depressed on the resolution to oust her and the best way it was finished.
Ecuadorian-born Gabriela, who moved to the UK from Spain a decade in the past along with her 10-year-old little one Nicole, mentioned: ‘I’m nonetheless so offended about the best way I’ve been handled.
‘I’ve been accused of theft when all I did was eat a small sandwich that was in all probability going to finish up within the bin.
A single mom who was sacked from her cleansing job for taking a leftover tuna sandwich from a regulation agency kitchen says she suffered ‘unfair and inhumane’ therapy
Speaking solely to MailOnline, she revealed how she had been left in tears and depressed on the resolution to oust her and the best way it was finished
Single mom Gabriela Rodriguez, 39, was axed by contractor Total Clean after serving to herself to the £1.50 Tesco sandwich on a discarded platter for staff at City regulation agency Devonshires
Ms Rodriguez’s colleagues have demonstrated exterior the central London HQ of solicitors Devonshires, the place prime attorneys earn £1.68 million a 12 months, with cans of tuna and banners saying: ‘Sacked for a sandwich?’ and ‘We aren’t the dust, we clear.’
‘I put it within the fridge to have after my shift ended, as a result of the sandwiches had been left within the kitchen for different employees when ground-floor conferences completed, and I understood I had the proper to eat it as somebody who labored within the constructing.
‘There will need to have been round 5 trays with left-over meals, together with crisps and sandwiches, and I solely took one small one with tuna and cucumber inside.
‘It would have been round 2.30pm, so lunch-time was nearly over, and nearly definitely the sandwich I ate and a lot of the others on the trays would have ended up being thrown away.’
She added: ‘The method they removed me was horrible.
‘Per week glided by with out anybody saying something, after which about quarter-hour earlier than the tip of my shift after I was on the Devonshires constructing, a Total Clean supervisor and the corporate’s Human Resources supervisor got here in and instructed me I used to be being suspended with out pay and and needed to hand in my move and go away instantly.
‘They instructed me it was as a result of I had taken a sandwich with out permission and I could not consider it.
‘I went again residence and I spent the remainder of the day in a state of whole shock. I felt so upset and offended.
‘There had been a variety of tears and days after I had no urge for food. That and the concern of not figuring out how I’d cope financially as a result of I’m a single mum citing a younger daughter on simply the one wage.’
In a social media marketing campaign, the United Voices of the World union mentioned the worth of the sandwich in query value not more than £1.50
Copy of the letter despatched to Ms Rodriguez in November final 12 months by Graham Peterson
Total Clean operations director Graham Petersen mentioned he had weighed up whether or not a lesser sanction than sacking could be ‘acceptable’
Ms Rodriguez is claiming unfair dismissal in opposition to the cleansing agency which employed her with the assistance of the grassroots UVW Union for migrant staff which she is a member of.
Today MailOnline revealed the letter despatched by hard-hearted Total Clean boss Graham Petersen confirming her sacking following her attraction and a November 23 2023 disciplinary listening to held over Zoom after the sandwich incident 9 days earlier.
The letter acknowledged: ‘At the listening to your rationalization was that you simply discovered a sandwich within the kitchen close to the tip of your shift and took it with no second thought.
‘You acknowledged that beforehand the shopper had left meals within the kitchen and provided it out, so that you thought it was positive.
‘I thought-about your rationalization to be unsatisfactory since you confirmed that nobody had provided you the meals within the kitchen however determined to take it anyway.
‘I’ve determined that your conduct has resulted in a elementary breach of your contractual phrases which irrevocably destroys the belief and confidence essential to proceed the employment relationship.’
Ms Rodriguez’s colleagues have demonstrated exterior the central London HQ of solicitors Devonshires, the place prime attorneys earn £1.68 million a 12 months, with cans of tuna and banners saying: ‘Sacked for a sandwich?’ and ‘We aren’t the dust, we clear.’
Signs made at a United Voices of the World union assembly forward of protest motion
A UVW Union spokesman insisted immediately: ‘Gabriela understood she was additionally allowed to eat this meals.
‘It is so extremely far past the realms of reasonableness and comprehension to dismiss an worker for consuming a leftover tuna and cucumber sandwich.
‘We now perceive that the privilege of consuming leftover sandwiches maybe doesn’t lengthen to the outsourced migrant workforce within the constructing.’
Ms Rodriguez instructed MailOnline: ‘No-one else was within the kitchen on the time and no-one mentioned something to me so I’m nonetheless undecided if I’ve been filmed on CCTV.
‘Although Devonshires are actually saying they did not complain and are completely satisfied to have me again on their premises, the Total Clean supervisor who got here to the constructing simply earlier than my shift ended and instructed me at hand in my move mentioned it was as a result of the constructing supervisor from the regulation agency had complained and accused me of stealing a sandwich.
‘It was mortifying for me to be accused of theft. I take into account my therapy was unfair and denigrating.
‘I’m a really conscientious one who’s at all times tried to do their job to the best requirements potential and I’d by no means had any earlier complaints from anybody I’d labored with.
‘About £1,000 of the £1,700 I acquired after tax whereas I used to be nonetheless at Total Clean and dealing as a sub-contractor in Devonshires and Stradivarius the place I used to be a supervisor, went on the hire on the one-bed flat I share with my daughter.
‘Getting by every month on the remainder of my wage with a younger little one to take care of was by no means simple and I needed to fall again on the little financial savings I had and assist from household after I was fired.
‘It was simply earlier than Christmas and I began to panic about what I’d do and the way I’d cope.
‘Luckily I acquired good references from individuals I’ve met and labored with within the years I’ve been dwelling within the UK and I’ve now acquired a brand new job as a full-time manufacturing employee in a garments manufacturing facility and am very completely satisfied there.’
She added: ‘I would not wish to return to Total Clean even when they did admit they had been improper and provide me my job again.
‘I acquired the letter Graham Petersen despatched me confirming my dismissal simply after I’d completed my lunch and the phrases and the tone of it induced me indigestion.
‘I’m no thief and I’m no commerce union militant which is the opposite factor I’ve been known as.
‘I’m an sincere single mum making an attempt her finest to earn an honest dwelling doing what I take into account to be very honourable professions.
‘I’m completely satisfied my union helps me battle my dismissal from Total Clean. Too many individuals say nothing and put up with mistreatment out of worry.
‘Enough is sufficient. I’m speaking out now and am refusing to remain silent as a result of I did nothing improper.’
