Galway Tribunal hears driver ‘short-changed’ customers on oil deliveries

An oil truck driver was fired after serious discrepancies emerged over fuel deliveries, a Tribunal in Galway was told last week.

Malachy Nee from Ballyconneely was eventually let go after his boss John Sweeney had deliberated for weeks over parting company with the man who was his first employee in a business career stretching over 25 years.

Mr Sweeney, owner of Sweeney Oil of Clifden, told the Employment Appeals Tribunal that he had suffered several examinerships and receiverships of his companies during the recession, but nothing had cost him as much sleep as having to dismiss Mr Nee.

He was giving evidence at the Unfair Dismissal claim of his former employee in Galway. Mr Nee brought the action against Arinos Ltd, T/A the Oil Company and now trading as Sweeney Oil Company.

Businessman Peter Lee gave evidence of suspecting he had been short-changed on diesel deliveries from Mr Sweeney’s Clifden-based company in 2012.

He satisfied himself that he had been left short of 120 litres on one occasion and 180 litres on another.

On both occasions he had received deliveries from Malachy Nee, whereas he was never short when the company’s other driver had filled his tank. He decided to say nothing, but changed his diesel provider and was satisfied with his deliveries.

When Mr Sweeney’s company called to ask if he was alright for diesel and queried why he hadn’t been ordering, he explained his complaint to Mr Sweeney.

“I was paying for diesel I wasn’t getting,” Mr Lee said.

Mr Sweeney told the Tribunal that following an investigation he began to discover other discrepancies regarding oil deliveries. He admitted to being very upset at what he was discovering about a man whom he had always regarded as a trusted, respected and reliable worker.

See full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.