Who Am I & Who is Booker Wholesale ?

Above:  Branch 276 / Booker Wholesale (Stockport)

My name is Gareth Preston, I'm an Ex Employee Of Booker Wholesale, the branch that I worked at, for Booker Wholesale was at their Stockport Branch.  However, it was on Saturday 9th April 2011 (NB:  5 years after employement) that I did formally dismiss my-self from this Company known as Booker Wholesale.  For a 5 year period, my employment with this company had been one of Racial Discrimination towards my-self from my fellow Booker Wholesale work colleagues. 

Please see my previous blog posting for my "Constructive Letter Of Dismissal" which I did present to the Manager of Booker Wholesale Stockport after a short while of dismissing my-self from his company.

So now that you know who I am....  Then perhaps I should tell you who Booker Wholesale is.....  But before I do, then I would like to explain to you all as to why I have decided to write a blog about Booker Wholesale and my experience as a Branch Assistant aka BA in the first place.

The reason why I have decided to write a blog about Booker Wholesale is because that I was a victim of Racial Discrimination from my fellow Booker Wholesale colleagues.  Now for me it was very "HARD" for me to admit to my-self, let alone to admit to others that I was being bullied /discriminated against by my fellow Booker Wholesale Work Colleagues.  But again on 9th April 2011 I did do something about it i.e. I self dismissed my-self from that company / employer.

Now, since leaving Booker Wholesale I have often thought about it, and I have now come to an conclusion, that is that I am not the only one that will experience Racial Discrimination in the work place.  As a matter of fact, I bet that some where right now, some one is going through exactly the same experience as what I have went through with Booker Wholesale.  Perhaps they work for British Gas, or British Telecom, or it may even be Natwest or Tesco etc... etc....  But the sad fact is, is that somewhere right now, someone possibly is facing Racial Discrimination in the work place and may not know exactly how to deal with it.  Hence why I'm writing this blog about my own experience so I may perhaps be a possible resource of information for anyone that may be facing Racial Discrimination in the work place.

Now Booker Wholesale is a Cash and Carry, in fact it's the biggest Cash and Carry here in the UK and does have over 172 branch's in the UK.  And has now even opened up it's first Branch in India.   If you visit http://www.bookergroup.com/ then you shall learn in depth a great more about Booker Wholesale. 

Above:  A HGV drops off it's Cargo @ Booker Wholesale, Stockport from RDC

I hate Pakis and the Irish said the Booker Wholesale Employee to the Customer that he was serving.  I looked to my right and I realized in horror that this Booker Wholesale Employee was is in fact talking about my-self to the Customer that he was serving. 

I was at my cash register counting money / cash when I over heard this Booker Wholesale Employee say this comment of his to the Customer that he was serving.  I was in shock as to what exactly it was that was going on?  As it was only just last week that I had kindly pointed out to that Booker Wholesale Employee that I am in fact a British Citizen and not an Irish Citizen.  I seen the customer look over in my direction, I done my best to pretend that I had not heard that Booker Wholesale Employee's comment.  However, I then over heard the Customer say back to the Booker Wholesale Employee, O leave him alone it's not his fault that he is Irish.

Next thing I know is that my body is now shaking, a surge of adrenaline has now started to run through my body, some of the money / cash that I had in my hands that I was counting has now falling on the floor.  Look, he can't even count money says the Customer to the Booker Wholesale Employee as he leaves the depot. 

I can't believe that this has just happened, I'm now saying to my-self.  What do I do?  I've got to confront this because if I don't then it's only going to get worse over time.  I walk out the door after the Customer who is now loading his shopping into the back of his car.  What's the problem mate? I said to the Customer,  Pardon? says the Customer back to me. 

I say, your problem, what is it?  You have a problem with me, I heard what you just said to that other Branch Assistant in there, you say that I'm Irish and you have got some kind of problem with that?  This direct approach with the Customer sees him reply back to me, No not me, I don't have a problem with the Irish at all, in fact half of my family comes from Ireland on my Mothers side.  I kindly explained to the Customer that if I overheard any more "Irish Banter" from him again than I would report him to Management and let them handle the situation on my behalf.  This seen the Customer reply back to me that he is sorry and that it is never going to happen again.

Above:  A Booker Wholesale Employee Works His Pallet

I enter the depot again and decide that it is in my best interests to report this incident to the Branch Manager.  I inform the Branch Manager of this incident / conflict that has just happened.  I am informed later on in the day that the Employee in question is to have a disciplinary as a result.

It became coherent over the next few days / weeks that some BA's (Branch Assistants) and Supervisors with in the group at Booker Wholesale Stockport felt that the Managers decision to take disciplinary action against the Employee in question was totally unnecessary.  In fact I can even remember that time in the then Smoke Room in the depot when that female Supervisor was saying to me "don't you think that you are over reacting with all of this"?  Also don't you know that you won't win over any friends from this"? 

Above:  A Booker Wholesale Employee Tidy's His Department 

Above:  Meet Bob, he is the "Card Board" Cut Out @ Booker Wholesale Stockport

Above:  A Booker Wholesale Employee "Skies" a Pallet of sugar @ Booker Wholesale Stockport.

Above:  A Booker Wholesale Manager performs a cash "Pick Up" @ Booker Wholesale Stockport.

My Constructive Dismissal Letter From Booker Wholesale

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Sunday 10th April 2011

Constructive Dismissal
Resignation Letter For
Booker Wholesale

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Dear Mr Manager,


Well what can I say or should that be where should I start?  

I guess that I’ll start here then, the days of me collecting those “Thousands Upon Thousands of £’s for you at your Check Outs” are now finally over. 

As this is indeed my “Official” Constructive Dismissal Letter Of Resignation. 

Yes, on Saturday 9th April 2011.   I did formally dismiss my-self from your company, but my Constructive Dismissal was done in line with my rights contained under the “Employment Rights Act 1996;  Section 95 (1) (c).  (Which is an Act that I am familiar with, however I’m not to sure if you are though?)


Mr Manager, Basically I can not allow my self to condone any more how your company does treat me.  I must stress to you Mr Manager that I am in fact a 30 year old adult and NOT a 14 year child. 

So please now let me high light to you what it exactly is that has now caused me to dismiss my-self from your company!  My main points are…

Consistent Racism  (To my-self for being Irish, when I‘m in fact a British Citizen).
Consistent Discrimination (Both Direct & Indirect Towards My-Self).
Consistent Bullying ( NB:  Your Management Teams Consistent Threats Towards Me With Their Disciplinary(S). 

On the following pages Mr Manager you will find that I have broken all three of my points down into a more “Manageable / Bite Size” context in order for any reader of this letter to better comprehend / easily read as to what it is that my main points for my self-dismissal from your company actually are focusing on?

So please turn over

Many Thanks

_____________________________

Gareth Robert Preston

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    Consistent Racism

Mr Manager, you have all branded me as a constant “Moaner” with regards to this very sensitive topic.   I have repeatedly asked your Management Team & Work Force to refrain from harassing me with regards to my “Nationality”, that is to say that you all know that I am a “British Citizen”.

Now your Management Team consistently over looks the “Racism” that is repeatedly thrown at me by your work force and even in some cases by some of your customers.    

Mr Manager, I have seriously had enough of this “Irish Banter” that members of your company does say to me.  Not only that Mr Manager, but I have also had enough of how these “Irish Comments” which are immediately afterwards said by your employees to me are suddenly disguised as  to be only “Jokes”.
Moving on it does not stop there,  I have also had enough of how the Management Team consistently repeats themselves to my complaints about racism towards my-self as saying that “I’m always pulling the race card or I’m always dragging things up from the past”!

Mr Manager don’t you think that I’ve noticed,  how that every time I go on my 12:00 hrs lunch break, then that it is only me that is the only person sitting in that Canteen / Room?

But my claim towards Booker Staff being Racist towards me is hard for me to prove to be true though is it not?  Well not really, because I have just been going through some of my files today and I have just found some very useful information which does back up my claim towards Booker Staff being Racist towards me.
For example I have found my “Appeal” which I did write on Wednesday 30th September 2009 with regards to the Racist Comments  that Booker Staff were directing towards me back then.  A copy of this “Appeal” was also giving to Manager X, so this means that Booker should still have this copy of my “Appeal” in my file to prove that my claim is  in fact evident and not false.  Not only that but I also know that the Job Centre Plus too will have stored / recorded details on their system too which again will back up my claim towards Booker Staff being racist towards me.  Notes To Reader :  Examples Of The Racist Comments I’ve Had Directed Towards My-self From Booker Staff Over The Course Of My Employment Have Been

1.)  Your Not A Bomber are you?
2.)  Good Morning you IRA B*****d
3.)  Shut Up & Speak The Queens English
4.)  Top Of The Morning Ta Ya Paddy
5.)  I Hate The Irish, Don’t I Gareth?
6.)  Just As Long As There Is No Semtex In There!  (NB:  A reference to my first E-bay purchase delivered to the branch.)
7.)  Give It Some Paddy Power (NB:  Reference To My Work)
8.)  We Built Castles To Keep The Foreigners Out, But It Did Not Stop The Irish Getting Over
9.)  What Did He Say? (NB:  One Member Of Staff Saying To Another Member Of staff after I’ve just spoken)
10.)  I Hate Pakis & The Irish  (Note To Reader:  I’ve heard allot of Asian Banter too whilst being employed as a Branch Assistant at Booker Wholesale)

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Direct & Indirect Discrimination

Moving on my next point I would like to address Mr Manager is the Direct & Indirect Discrimination that I have faced as a Branch Assistant with in your Company. 

It is a well known fact Mr Manager that with all my years of employment with your Company your Management Team has consistently  “Prevented” / “Blocked” my-self from learning any other part of the Booker Wholesale Business.  So this means that whilst my fellow Branch Assistants (NB:  Even the Part Timers) are Crossed Trained on other such Duties as Reception, Buyers, Pickers, Cashiers, Frozen etc….
Then your Management Team has made darn sure that my employment with your company is indeed a limited  one.  Now the only skills that I am allowed to “Develop” with in the company are the ones for the most “Difficult Job / Task”  in the Building, which is of course the Cashier.  

However, unlike the other Branch Assistant roles with in the building then it is Cashier that has the most responsibility placed upon them.  Funny that  is it not?  I mean come on if I’m consistently on the check outs then does that NOT mean that I have a higher chance of making mistakes?  You know the ones Mr Manager, the kind of mistakes which you and your Management Teams are consistently handing out disciplinary(s) for with regards to my-self.   Whilst at the same time I watch my fellow work colleagues working on other  jobs which carry less responsibility.

So when I say that I am being Directly Discriminated by your Management Team, then what does this mean?  Here are just a few examples of how I’m target by your Management Team.

• You are in the S**T again!  (NB:  This is how I have been spoken to for a till error)
• You have F****D Up Again! (NB:  This is how I have been spoken to for a till error)
• What are you doing in here Gareth?  Go upstairs to the Canteen! (NB:  This happens all the time, when I’m sitting in the Reception on my break, however the other employees are NOT even told to leave the Reception area even when they are supposed to be working on the shop floor.
• Just  work these pallets here Gareth!  (NB:  All pallets are always located near Check Outs so what the Management Team really mean is that I’m on the Check Outs.)
• What you want Gareth?   (NB:  This is a classic that the Management Team use on me all the time, it happens most when they are in a ‘huddle’ with other Branch Assistants whilst I am present at the same time.  However, I have to admit that I am normally humoured by this one, due to the fact that I always reply to their sniping comments with something related to my role as a Branch Assistant e.g. I need some more £1 coins  for my till.  Now there face says it all.
• Your on a Final Writing Warning (NB:  I’ve only just been informed that I’ve got a Disciplinary going against me.  However, the Supervisor in question dose not mind bragging to me what the outcome of my Disciplinary is going to be.
• But you made the mistake!  (NB:  Yet again this is another classic that they use against me, they are NOT interested in how the mistake happened in the first place or what can be done in the future to ensure that the same mistake does not happen again.  Instead they use the line “But you made the mistake” as some form of justification for them to try to intimidate me into feeling that I am some sort of Bad Person and that I must be severely punished for making this mistake)
• Just sit there for a minute (NB:  They put me in a room and leave me in there for long periods of time just waiting for them e.g. 10 minutes.  It’s another psychological game that they try to play with me)

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Direct & Indirect Discrimination Continued

Ok so I’ve just talked a little to you about the Direct Discrimination that your Management Team have put towards me so now, I guess it’s time for me to talk to you about the Indirect Discrimination that I have experienced towards my-self whilst working as an Employee for your company.
When I talk about Indirect Discrimination I am talking about the “One Set Of Rules” which your company has in place for me and the other “Set Of Rules” that your company has for your favourite employees. 
Here are a few examples of the Indirect Discrimination that I have faced in your company.

1.)  Discriminated against for being a Non Smoker i.e. remember that rule which your Management Team forced upon me in order for me to come of my lunch breaks early. in order to serve your customers at the Check Outs.  Whilst at the same time the Smokers were allowed to continue with their own lunch breaks undisturbed due to the fact that they left the building for their breaks.
2.)  Being made to feel “uncomfortable” whilst I’m in the same room with your Management Team and other Branch Assistants. Via their actions or their words.
3.)  Your Management Team not turning up to my Tanoid requests for their assistance at the check outs.  Which gives me no option but to go looking for them around the building.
As a matter of fact Mr Manager, I think that I will just end my letter here, as I’m pretty sure that even a 14 year old child can see the justifications that I have with regards to self dismissing my-self from your company.  i.e.  done in line with my rights contained under the “Employment Rights Act 1996;  Section 95 (1) (c). 

Yours Faithfully

Gareth Preston