Ian Faletto Sacking - 15th May 2011

I have been inundated with outraged emails from the New Forest and from across the nation. Indeed, I haven’t had as many angry and exasperated emails since the Government’s idea of selling off our forests.

People have been horrified at the sacking of Ian Faletto the station manager at Lymington railway station by South West Trains. Ian Faletto has been an outstanding public servant to many thousands of passengers. He was for many years station master at Sway where he won the station master of the year award for years running. It happened so often that  I went to some trouble to attend the award ceremony.

He was sacked for breaching ‘health and safety regulations’ when he removed a super market shopping trolley from the railway track which would endanger the trains and the passengers on them. There is some dispute as to the extent to which proper procedures were observed prior to Mr Faletto stepping on to the track.

As soon as I heard about this ridiculous situation I sent a fax to the Managing Director of South West Trains in which I drew to his attention the outstanding record of Mr Faletto; the fact that so many members of the public were outraged at what had happened and were contacting me accordingly; and I asked him to personally review the matter as a matter of urgency.

I doubt that I was the only person to call to mind the initiative of Jenny Aguttur as Roberta in the film The Railway Children when –having discovered a land slip on the line- she used her bloomers to improvise a warning sign and flagged down the oncoming train averting a disaster.  The Children undoubtedly broke health and safety regulations and the law by trespassing on to the railway line. Far from being punished, they were justly praised and rewarded for their bravery and good sense.

Imagine the sense of injustice and disbelief that Mr Faletto must feel after twenty seven  years of loyal and outstanding service, to be treated so shabbily. I am glad that the public have reacted with such anger and have leapt to his defence. It shows that people still care and are prepared to stand up for common sense and fairness.

The Managing Director telephoned me to assure me that all the proper procedures had taken place and that the decision had been reviewed by another manager independently and objectively. He explained that, of course, he was not at liberty to discuss any detail of any disciplinary case which must remain confidential. I tried to get over to him the magnitude of the public relations disaster facing his company but I am not sure that I succeeded.

The decision is so utterly perverse that one wonders if there isn’t another secret agenda operating beneath the surface.  Winning so many awards and being such a well known character may have ruffled feathers. Given the caprice of human nature,  is it possible that someone was out to get him?

All sorts of rumours about it are circulating in Lymington;  The story is drawing comments on  Twitter; and on Facebook.

It is my intention to join the presentation of a petition to South West Trains asking for Mr Faletto’s reinstatement, thousands have already signed. Members of the clergy have been the driving force behind this petition.

If you want me to add your name to the petition then email me at desmondswayne@hotmail.com or write to me at the House Of Commons SW1A 0AA.