Bananaman sacked for sick slip-up

Michael Joyce, 55, of Copster Green, has worked for Clitheroe's Castle Cement as a driver for the past 12 years but was sacked from his £320 a week job last week after calling in sick.

Although he accepted that the company was within its rights, he turned up dressed as a banana to protest at the way the company had dealt with his case and the long hours drivers are asked to work.

The company today said its drivers worked within European guidelines of 128 hours a fortnight.

Mr Joyce, who said he was not taking the matter any further and would look for another job, said: "I'd worked a 56 hour week driving for the company and was told on the afternoon of Friday March 16 that I was to go into work at 4am instead of 6am on Saturday, to take a load up to Scotland. It just slipped out when I joked I might be ill on that day.

"It was sods' law. I was sick all night but managed to ring in to work on Saturday morning to make sure someone could take over the delivery," explained Mr Joyce.

But cement bosses said he was in breach of his contract and suspended him. Later in the week he was told he was sacked.

"I was within the contracted hours of 120 a fortnight so the company has sacked me legitimately and legally and I haven't a leg to stand on," he said.

He said the reason he was marching outside the company was to both embarrass it and highlight the fact that he felt the lorry drivers are overworked.

His choice of attire emulated Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, who famously wore a banana suit after losing a libel case. In that incident, he too carried a banner saying 'If this is justice, I'm a banana.'

He continued his protest all day on Monday and vowed to be back today to make his point.

Castle Cement said: "Castle Cement has upheld a decision to dismiss Mr Joyce, who was employed as a driver within the distribution department at the Ribblesdale cement works, after he was found to be in breach of his contract."