Posted on 04/08/2010 12:10:13 PM PDT by Stoat
Published: 7 Apr 10 14:58 CET
A 52-year-old rail worker reprimanded two years ago for visiting pornographic websites at work has escaped with just a second warning despite repeatedly causing trains to be delayed in eastern Sweden. The Swedish Rail Administration's (Banverket) disciplinary board issued the follow-up warning in March after the signal operator's litany of workplace transgressions led to numerous delays at Gävle station.
In the two-year period since his porn habits led the administration's local computer network to become infected with viruses, the 52-year-old has routinely been summoned to formal meetings with his boss to discuss his various breaches.
High speed X2000 trains, cargo trains, and regular passenger trains have all been affected by the 52-year-old's relaxed approach to his job as a signal operator.
Aside from regularly arriving late to a job regulated by a strict timetable, the man also occasionally failed in his duty to keep train drivers abreast of the latest developments on the tracks. One frustrated driver reported that the 52-year-old slept soundly at his post as he awaited permission for his train to enter the station.
When a series of meetings with his exasperated boss failed to produce results, the 52-year-old was referred in May 2009 to a behavioural therapist "in order to find a way to raise the quality of his work. Above all, to be in the here and now," the board wrote.
Having compiled an exhaustive list of the signal operator's missteps, the disciplinary board eventually concluded that a second warning was in order.
The board further noted that the 52-year-old could not expect to escape with just another warning if he continued to neglect his workplace duties.
The 52-year-old's first warning came in November 2007 when he was found to have visited pornographic websites and gambling sites on more than 50 separate occasions while logged in at work with his rail administration account.
The decision at the time to issue a formal warning was not however unanimous, with two trade union representatives present at the meeting of the disciplinary board arguing that a warning was too harsh a measure. Instead, they felt that a more appropriate course of action would have been to serve the 52-year-old with a written reminder of his duties as a rail administration employee.
Swedish porn crashes railway - The Sun -News
Busted ... worker's web habits crippled train network
Investigators found there were so many viruses infecting the rail network's computers in Gavle, Sweden, they were incapable of running trains safely. His outraged bosses gave the signalman an official warning saying that thousands of passengers and hundreds of cargo trains were put at risk by his porn addiction. A report into the scandal also said the 52-year-old worker regularly missed his shifts at the network controls because he was too tired to work after being up all night ogling saucy internet images. One frustrated driver reported that the man had slept soundly at his post while he awaited permission for his train to enter the station. But union bosses claim the official warning was "too harsh". One said: "A letter would have been more appropriate." A RAIL worker has been slammed by his bosses for crippling a train network by looking at PORN in the office.
Is he on double-secret probation now?
"I'd hit that."
Now that, my friend, is job security. Porn, sleeping, tardiness ... what does it take to get fired from that job? Holy moly.
SnakeDoc
Great, whats next?
“Scientists watch porn during Hadron Collider experiment, whole world consumed by black hole”
Now, I’m not saying this guy should be surfing porn at work on his employer’s system - that right there would be sufficient cause for at least a strong warning, if not immediate termination, in most places I’ve worked - but why are these systems so easily compromised by the actions of a mere user? Why is he using these systems (presumably Windows based) with the elevated privileges that make virus infiltration so much easier? Why is there not decent anti-virus software running? And they should be running Windows Vista or 7, whose User Access Control facilities greatly reduce the possibility for ordinary users or internet browser security holes to do damage to the systems.
Richest country in the world if you believe Swedish statistics. Best health care, no delays. Can’t get fired, whole cities run by happy muslims. Best cities in the world in Sweden, clean - just don’t go near Malmo, nothing but muslims peace niks.
“Women and minorities hardest hit”.
On one hand, the operator is a mess. On the other hand, entirely aside from the fact that the disciplinary process reads like Kafka on acid...Memo to Swedish Rail: There are these wonderful things called firewall programs.
Any country that runs their trains on microsoft,
get exactly what that deserve.
Aren’t unions great!
The Onion couldn’t make this stuff up.
And not 'just unions' in American parlance, but Socialist unions.
As usual, for people who poo-pooh warnings of creeping Socialism here in the USA, saying "How bad can it be?" and all you need to do is to look 'across the pond' at the UK, at Europe and in this case at Scandinavia to see how bad things can indeed get.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH HUMOR |
|
No amateurs, please. Send FReepmail if you want on/off ISHP list |
|
The List of Ping Lists |
Third time and it’ll be a strongly worded letter for you!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.