Water cut-off man ‘no Robin Hood’

UTILITIES giant Veolia has been taken to a tribunal by a worker sacked for refusing to cut off water to customers who had not paid their bills.

Marc Fazio, 49, was sacked for “insubordination and disruption of work” and Veolia said he was no “Robin Hood” helping the poor – his real complaint was that he was not given a pay rise for disconnecting customers.

He took the company to the Conseil de Prud’hommes industrial tribunal in Avignon, Vaucluse, to challenge his sacking in 2013.

Mr Fazio had worked for the company since 1994 as a technician fixing leaks but in 2005 the company assigned him to the disconnection service.

He told the tribunal that at first it was possible for staff to work with the customers and point them in the direction of help from Veolia customer services to organise a repayment schedule or social welfare.

But when the company told him he was not a social worker and to do what he was told he asked to move to another department.

Veolia told the tribunal that there was never any mention of the customers, just his requests for a €300 monthly pay rise – and he refused an offer of €60.

Mr Fazio has claimed €360,000 in damages from the company: equivalent to his total pay until retirement if his sacking is confirmed. The ruling will be given at the end of May.
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