Update On Whitby Life Boat Fiacso

[derek-33]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5836995/Lifeboat-men-sacked-pornographic-mug-lose-appeal.html

[Sqad]

Brave men who risk their lives for others, true definition of the alpha males, being "hung out to dry " by the P.C brigade.
I know Whitby well, know the fishermen and the local community and this decision by the RNLI is a bad mistake.

[dannyk13]

A storm in a teacup which has developed into a sorry state of affairs.

[kvalidir]

I'm very disappointed about this, a terrible error I think.

[zebo]

The highly paid management don't seem to understand or care about the amount of anti feeling that this has created. According to an RNLI shop we go into there have been so much bad feeling and I'm afraid it will be reflected in next year's accounts. Does the RNLI really need a £40k Diversity and Inclusion Officer? I will certainly think twice and, having sailed a lot, it's one of my top organisations for donations.

[jackthehat]

Reading to the end of the article seems to show that there is far more to the story than simple 'banter'.
The RNLI is constrained from saying terribly much about the matter which is, I suppose, as it should be but this results in a very one-sided media report.
I don't think anyone would seek to diminish the outstanding work and contributions made by the lifeboat volunteers.

[Sqad]

JTH

"Four other members of Whitby lifeboat crew resigned over the sackings at the start of May and a fifth is said to be on the brink of quitting as well."

We can only go on the media report, but it would seem that should there be more to this story..."banter" sums it up.

[jackthehat]

///One volunteer was stood down for social media activity which targeted a member of RNLI staff without their knowledge and produced graphic sexual images which went far beyond banter.

'The other volunteer produced a hardcore pornographic image of a fellow crew member on a mug.

'Some newspapers created their own image of a mug, but the actual image produced by the volunteer was so graphic that no newspaper would be able to print it without breaking the law.///

[Canary42]

Not just a one-sided media report - it's been endorsed by Sqad who knows Whitby and the fishermen well.

[Sqad]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2239231/North-Sea-trawlermen-Fishing-boat-battered-waves-brave-crew-carry-dangerous-job-world.html

These pictures, depict conditions in which the lifeboatmen risk their lives to save others. Yes, Canary I do know them well and it is a very male orientated society, where banter and pornography abounds, as in other bastions of male occupation.

[10ClarionSt]

JTH, I would not imagine it was hardcore porn. That is nasty stuff.

[Old_Geezer]

The world has just got more PC and excessively offended as I've aged. Seems to be a dressing down offence to me, and I suspect to other reasonable individuals; not a sacking one. Pity one can not see the evidence though.

[jackthehat]

10clarionst - that is a quote taken directly from the newspaper article.

I've never quite understood the need for pornography at work....

[Old_Geezer]

Depends on how you define hardcore. Are Pirelli calendars still allowed ? How about Mayfair ones ? May guess is that it showed a young woman's body showing her genitalia, and all women have one of those.

[Old_Geezer]

MY !!!!!!

[woofgang]

I have been involved in something in the same category twice now. Both times there was outrage in the local paper (thank goodness it never got to national level) and both times the people who knew what had really happened, were either whistleblowers or involved in the investigation were constrained to keep silent. On one of the cases, the local MP was publicly involved defending the dismissed and disciplined staff and calling what had happened a "cover up" "victimisation" and so on. That one rumbled on and eventually the MP was able to get hold of the investigation paperwork through, IIRC a Freedom of information request. At that point, when, if there had been victimisation and so on, those disciplined or dismissed could have reamed the local NHS organisation good and proper, the MP made a statement in the paper to the effect that the past was the past and no point in re-opening the issue.
I am not saying that this is the same because how could I know.....what I am saying is that in the case I mentioned, the outcry was from people who were local, who knew the area and the people well and who did not believe the outcome of the investigation was fair or valid.....just saying....