How awful that Winnie The Pooh's respected name got tarnished by this lot.

Sure this wasn't a moral boosting exercise?

This doesn't sound like the charity fundraising event that I attended that night.

Surely a reputable newspaper would actually check its facts before publishing? The Evening News is heading towards tabloid oblivion...

How bizarre, I hope they publish the location of their xmas party in advance so I can book a ring side seat.

The evening news are nothing but homewreckers if people lose there jobs due to this utter tripe thats been published then madness will break lose

#4

it is a fact that theft involving white collar workers is a result of greed from the more affluent or higher class of staff as the 'lower' classes have more honesty and decency!!

common integrity!

9.
i take mahatma coat of to you for trying,too think pupils have got as far as china,to much to take in.
their,their calm down.

Can I suggest a WWF wrestling theme office party instead next year ?

this event took place months ago, but the story has been on hold since June. Much like a caller to Scottish Gas.

Staff at a work get-together get a bit bevvied and there is a wee barney shocker!

I wonder how many office party barneys will go unreported in the run-up to Christmas?

There is only one way to deal with these hooligans and thats to sack them all. I hope the police investigate this brawl and make arrests - this scum don't deserve a job.

13. Will be a bit carefull when arguing the toss with call center staff in the future.

You and me both.

I'm disgusted.

It all started when SG employees followed company process by automatically uttering the standard line to everyone they met "Aye, You'll need a new boiler", A few of them thought they were talking about their girlfriends and it all kicked off from there.

i read this a proud employee of sg you are all so high and mighty saying us in our call centre are scum and without education i put it to you that you are ubnder educated with a comment like this.
it annoys me that what i thought to be good paper that incidently my grad father wrote for could make up and it is made up such a story.
i am disgusted but tlets not tar all of our remainder staff like the 4 that were involved.
evening news get your facts right

Pics?

#20 - Heartfelt - ""Aye, You'll need a new boiler"

Excellent stuff!

This thread needs far more gas-related puns!

#21 Before calling us "under-educated", you might want to learn how to spell, use capitals and punctuation.

And your grandfather wrote for the EN? Oh, the shame!!!

No 21-Your grandad wrote for the Evening News? Didn`t pass on any of his genes to you then?

#21
thtse trribal thit yuor edyukatiun got insltted buy them hi and mitey peoplul

Alan McEwen CRIME REPORTER should be looking to change his line of work, as it looks like Inspector Rebus has been doing his job off late. Crime is obviously down to an all time low in Edinburgh, (with the exception of his reporting). “Hand bags at dawn”, hardly worthy of a front page headline. Keep up the great investigative journalism Alan, you certainly make me laugh!

21.
climb up on my knee sunny boy,
though your only three sunny boy,

you did a good attempt,dont get older brother alex to help in future,teacher nose best.

'It started as a fun evening with sketches and Britney Spears songs.'

Personally I would have been throwing bottles too.

#21,

I hope that's a wind up. Had me in stitches.

Staff cuts are rarely the fault of employees. Management arranges all that.Where was english when those staff cuts were made?Might union busters are present.Goes on here a lot.

#21

Ms Croan makes a comeback... 2 shirts please!

YOU SHOULD GET THE FULL FACTS BEFORE YOU WRITE UTTER RUBBISH IN THE PAPER THAT'S NOT TRUE, OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD DOES NOT MATTER, IM SURE ALOT OF CHRITMAS PARTIES OR NIGHTS OUT END IN THE SAME WAY. YOU SHOULD GET EVENING NEWS STAFF TO WRITE ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER NOT A SMALL BARNIE THAT NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN

Yes, my beloved British Gas, left in ruins. This was always going to happen with the current management at Scottish Gas. I blame the lack of PDPs !!!!!

This would never happen in my day.

Yes, my beloved British Gas, left in ruins. This was always going to happen with the current management at Scottish Gas. I blame the lack of PDPs !!!!!

This would never happen in my day.

32
stunning example of patersonification,i can retyre nowing my years have knot bean in vein,tiers of joy,sow proud,

my teaching is not a job,its a vacation,

hope they got good pay for reporting the story they should start writing kids books for a living

Nicola (26), nothing in the world has ever been solved by someone typing out their grievance IN UPPER CASE. Also "a lot" is two words, not one.

I used to work for BG was also involved in the whole Qdos thing but after clearing my name, stayed on but then moved on to greener pastures and after reading this latest debacle i`m so glad i did,because what i went through in the lead up to the disciplinary i wouldn`t wish on anyone and i more than anybody have learnt from this.

#36: Some people must be interested otherwise they wouldn't have pothered to post a comment.

May I take my earplugs out now?

"pothered"????, I meant bothered! Still, it will give the EEN writers a new story: "New word discovered in Edinburgh!!!"

43&44,

Do you weally twink they'd be pothered adout that?

#45,
of course they would... it's a non-story and would make the front page, together with "No words can describe Fife!!!".

As an ex gasman i`d say if it was back in the seventies under the Chairmanship of Maurice Redman the lot of them would be sacked ,which indeed they all should be.No messing.

Yes, I think all people who work in call centres should be sacked. That would be a warning to them.

Re No 47
Edinburgh Evening News Exclusive
“Gas Fitter From The Seventies Awakens From Comma”
Welcome back to the land of the living.

PS: If you see Sid, remember and tell him

Sack the lot. Signed A Postie

50.
Dam you sellotape,youll get me sacked.

#36 Nicola,

I can only assume with that outburst, that you perhaps work for SG.

If this is the case, then I'm wondering if you speak to customers with the same venom, that you are showing here?

In my opinion, the company directors could do a lot worse than to plant a spy in the call centre department, to help weed out the, untrustworthy, dishonest and insincere employees.

EEN Front Page News: Scottish Gas office closes: Centralisation of all activities in Manchester/Birmingham.

This is the future, you heard it here first.

#54

Who is this 5%, they must be found!

#53 -- "In my opinion, the company directors could do a lot worse than to plant a spy in the call centre department, to help weed out the, untrustworthy, dishonest and insincere employees."

What an excellent idea! That will get the staff morale up.

I was just about to suggest they hold an X-factor office party to rally the troops, but it would just end in tears.

How about a spelling bee?

Sir Cedric

These people are easily identified. The biggest tell tale sign is they usually lunch together in big groups at a designated time. During this time Service Levels are at risk, meeting rooms are free to use and the girls are free to roam the office without fear of capture.

I USED TO HAVE A BRILLIANT JOB AT THE WINNIE THE POOH BRACELET FACTORY. SALES WERE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF AND THEY HAD TO TAKE ON EXTRA BRACELET MAKERS. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT ALL STOPPED AROUND AUGUST AND WE ALL GOT MADE REDUNDANT. UNBELIEVABLE.

***** The X Factor *****

Scottish Gas workers had a bash,
Tongues still wagged, over the £27,000 cash.
Animosity oozed from every chair,
Selfish people who do not care.

This Moral Boosting Exercise,
A chance to bond and compromise.
Bottles were flying through the air,
Selfish people who do not care.

They had some fun at Britney Spears,
For the sacked workers, there where no tears.
Yet some still felt it wasn't fair,
Selfish people who do not care.

An internal inquiry is underway,
Only four employees to whittle away?
Yet more than twenty, were in this affair,
Selfish people who do not care.

I WONDER IF UNFAIRLY DISMISSED IS REALLY NICOLA ?

OR IS BLOCK CAPITALS JUST SOMETHING THEY ALL DO AT SCOTTISH GAS ?

37 Sir Cedric Brown

Probably not. I am told that in your day low staff morale was a sackable offence. There certainly would not have been an office party There would have been no need for one.

Alex Patterson and Auld Reekie,thanks for the chortle!

47 and 49

Back in the Seventies I understand that they used to make coal gas as well. I suspect that Black Five sampled his product once too often and then fell into a deep slumber for decades.

The name Maurice Redman rings a bell. Wasn't he the Scottish Gas Chairman who did not have his contract renewed?

Gas was then a nationalized industry and it seems that the Labour Government of the day did not much care for his management methods. Is there perhaps a lesson to be learnt here?

68
paterson if you dont mind,its not a laughing mater,stand in the corner with alex,is English not your mother tongue.

#26

How NICE for you that your wife is a fruit cake.

Are you a bit "fruity" yerself, dearest one?

#55 Do you have the numbers for the workforce left if they removed those who can't spell or write VERY LOUDLY?

My dad used to work for Scottish Gas, back in the days when it was a company that employed decent people. Presumably this story could be linked to the amount of complaints made through Energywatch, the standard of staff is obviously not very high. Thieves and thugs it sounds like, or should that be theevs an fugs.

What a load of complete rubbish the Evening News has printed today! This was not a morale boosting exercise, morale in the office is high. This was a fun night in which a lot of hard work went into. Hundreds of pounds was raised for charity! EN didn't print that though did they??? I was at the event and there was definately no brawl involving 20 people, a handful of people had minor disagreements, isn't that quite common when people have had a drink!!! This does not make them bad people. give them a break!
The EN reporter is clearly struggling to find any decent stories to print!

It looks like the Winnie really hit the fan that night.What have Winnie the Pooh bracelets got to do with gas?I don't think even Sherlock Holmes with all his logicality could work out that connection.

oh my god you would think murder had been commited they had a wee fight so what, if the bg customers knew half of what went on at previous nights out they would cringe,a manager was sacked before for taking drugs at a night out some of the managers even take drugs for lunch in the toilets how nice, i was involved in the qdos scam and we were made to look like the worst criminals ever but of course its not just the staff managers were involved too ooops. What ever happened to honesty is the best policy tell the truth and you get sacked deny it and my god you get to keep your job i wonder why, personaly i think the place is a joke great wages but pathetic conditions who needs a newspaper anyway when we have got British Gas its like the weakest link GOODBYE !!!!!!

#75.......I'm thinking maybe you are in fact the reporter himself as you talk and write as much rubbish as him. You are also as mis-informed!

With1500 employees @ 40% turnover that's a lot of people Scottish Gas give a job to in Edinburgh every year.

UNFAIRLY DISMISSED
How many Winnie the Pooh bracelets did you order ?
If someone tells you that there is a glitch which adds cash to your QDOS Visa acct do you just click the button like they told you to
Do lemmings jump off cliffs ?

These posts are hilarious.

Employees sacked for stealing and yet still feel hard done to!

They should have sacked them for their punctuation and grammar long before they committed fraud.

As for thugs throwing bottles on nights out, they deserve the jail not just a sacking.

Far too many disgruntled ex-employees passing comment to really get a fair assessment on this one. Does the phrase 'Get a job you like' not mean anything to anyone any more?! As for 'Unfairly Dismissed'.... I can only hope your partner - assuming you have one, never forgets your birthday or Whoa Betide!! In apparent soberiety, are you not just jumping on the same soapbox with your comments as the alledged instigators of last weekends fracas?! I'm sure the people involved have already endured sufficient guilt and remorse as they explain themselves to their employers and colleagues. As for the EN printing this 'Story' as a front pager is just a joke and they also should feel a tad self aware that their actions only allow people like you to continue your tirade against your ex-employers, who clearly made the right decision in binning you! Haha

75. ...before you start to blow the trumpet that feeds you cos

correct,and dont bite your own hand that feeds you either,its a sine of the times.

class dismissed.

85 - I Know What you did this Summer!
Must be 'Weeman' syndrome then as you turn an office night out to forget into a wrangle over how bad the company is that employed you for however long. I'm guessing you never said in there much until 'Poohgate' and now simply relish having an opinion. Shame it ain't worth hearing as it seems to me all major companies and conglomerates in any industry endure similar complaints and staff turnover at some point or another for any number of reasons. The bigger the target and all that. Don't hate the player... just hate the game

90
this primary scholl,was it clogged up with pupil's not wanting to learn.

It seems to me that the "Whistle Blower" that let the cat out of the bag re this storm in a beer glass should have a lot to feel ashamed of.

Suspicion among the less judgemental, less perfect members of staff at Scottish Gas is that you’re the same holier-than-thou cloud walker that felt it their civic duty to scuttle off to the papers when Pooh-Gate was the topic of choice during the “Silly Season”.

Are you happy with your second 15 minutes of fame?

Are the 30 pieces of silver Johnson Press threw at you going to stretch to the “Big Book of Sanctimony” you’ve been promising yourself?

Do you honestly feel that you've made a difference in this world by uncovering something of lesser importance than a kebab-shop skirmish on Lothian Road?

The only difference you’ve made is to ruin the lives, careers and Xmas’s of 4 members of staff who, through the influence of alcohol, were caught up in a drunken office fracas. This is hardly a cause for celebration or self congratulation on your part.

Concerning the Evening News editorial team’s decision to bring this scandal (yeah, right!) into the public domain, how many members of this illustrious organ’s staff have come sheepishly to work on a Monday morning deeply regretting their actions at a work sponsored bash the weekend before?

Does the intrepid Alan McEwen, the Scourge of Crime in the Lothian’s, take pleasure in a job well done by bringing this story of world importance to the attention of the public at large? What’s your next expose going to be Mr McEwen? “Scottish Widows Staff Xmas Party Push-n-Shove Horror!”

Groundbreaking journalism, indeed.

I have been an employee of Scottish Gas since 1994. I was at the night out and the whole issue was blown out of context! There were only 4 people involved! Believe it or not the night out was a success! Do not believe any rumours that you read in the local rag! They're obviously desperate for a story! Why dig up the QDOS incident! Done and dusted and has nothing to do with this incident! Shame on you "unfairly dismissed" - The company took the only option it could by sacking those of you who who "stole" - leaving the rest of us with a tarnished reputation - move on and get over it! There are many employees who are loyal to the company unlike yourself! There is a saying "If you fly with the crows you'll get shot down with them!" You took that risk and because of the media interest the company had no other option than to sack you! No lame excuses.

#92
Yes it was and you were one of them.

97.
Thanks julian,thats claryfied a few things.

all this over winnie the pooh gee wiz.

To comment 73 by employee1066:

I have to take issue with your comment "morale in the office is high".

Far from it. The only members of staff that have high morale are the ones that haven't been in the door long enough to realise that Scottish Gas, despite senior management's new propaganda, is a "Great Place To Work"...... don't believe everything you read on the mouse mat you got from Phil Bentley.

If it is such a great place to work, why, do you think, the attrition rate amongst senior members of staff is so high? Why are so many knowledgeable and experienced members of staff deciding that now is a good time to pull the pin and go elsewhere?

Face it; the bus is careering off the road and, to stretch a metaphor, Heaven help the poor chumps that bought a year long bus pass instead of a day saver.

can't wait for the x-mas party

^^^ Cancelled due to lack of interest, so I hear.

I was at the nite out at the corn exchange, me & my mates had prime seats and can assure you the evening news has totally blown it out of proportion, I wasnt aware of anything even happenin on the nite, the nite was a huge sucess. Qdos had absolutely nothin to do with it, cant actually believe people have over exaggerated btw, its now screwed up nites out for us cos makes all the staff look bad, its a great place to work and the qdos people got sacked cos they were thieving b*******

Comment 100

Captain Sanctimony, if you feel this was why do you work for Scottish Gas?

I am a person who cares for fact not fiction and quite clearly there are some current and ex-employees who let their anger do the talking.

Morale boosting is the action, not the outcome - which is dependant on the individual - what contribution did/do you make to boosting morale ?

Work - it's a call centre, you are either in or your out. The problem is that too many are happy to collect the cash without putting the effort in and then seek to complain when directives are made to increase performance to meet customer expectation which may remove them from their comfort zone. It is you few who spoil the reputation, provide poor service to customers and reduce morale

Charitable contributions are often, don't be misguided or blinded by your anger. In order to get some donation from staff there is usually a benefit in it for them

The subjects of this report are those involved in the incident, not the management who organised, the charities who benefited, the venue which held the night nor the staff who had a great time.

Finally, those involved in the 'other incident' were theives and fraudsters. Some were implicated and then proved innocent, isn't that what investigations are there for ?

In answer to Forth (comment 100):

Aint gonna be there much longer... I've just secured a new job and will be handing my notice in shortly.

haha! this made me laugh... i work at scottish gas and it really has gone to the dogs in recent years... the standard of people they employ these days is a joke. i honeslty dont know where the find them. it seems the skeemier you are the further your 'career' with scottish gas will go. the article has exagerrated things but the fact remains that on work nights out people are representing the company and should learn to behave themselves. sack them all.

#20 heartfelt, I hope the boiler you refer to is not a back-boiler.

To all employees who were dismissed:

The Company by law are obliged to give 1 weeks pay for each year of service.

What they did was offer 4 weeks pay to all dismissed employees. Your Union Reps did not know the law: the full time rep did not know the law and so the company got away with it literally hundreds of times.

So...if you were dismissed by the Gas Board and you had more than 4 years service it could be worthwhile making enquiries.

Phone ACAS on 0141 248 1400.

@ Yorkina...

You're probably right, but it wasn't always that bad. The union at Scottish Gas is effectively hamstrung by ineffective representation at a much higher level. In my experience as a union rep at Scottish Gas for over 4 years (NB I left in 2005) they do what they can with the limited support they have from members.

Still, for an office that's run by hooligans it's not surprising...

AC

@ Unfairly Dismissed

Thanks - I wish I knew who you were - I saw a great many people unfairly dismissed from that place, so it's difficult to say!

That said, everyone I know that left Scottish Gas, by their own volition or otherwise, have went on to better and brighter things.

And don't worry about Ivan Homeless, the deluded few are well outnumbered by the enlightened many...

AC

116.
you started it with cos,now your going off at a tangent,change your angle off attack.

As an employee of five years id like to say that whilst this story has been blown out of all proportion it is true that this has become a worse place to work year on year. We get a new MD every year and each one thinks he can succeed where the other failed and ran! The sad fact is that three years ago British Gas spent every penny they had on a 1970's billing system that would look more comfortable on noahs ark nothing can save them now as they slip further into complaints hell with no end in sight except redundances. Ill stay on Phil's bus untill I get kicked off it. We all will soon!

@ Unfairly Dismissed

I know exactly who you are now! Although P had already worked it out...

All the best!

A wheelchair bound man who bit the security staff on the hand, a drunken middle aged woman who jumped the bar to grab bar staff by the throat after they refused to sell her more alcohol & yes...bottles thrown, floors awash in vomit. Informant? Corn Exchange staff . Slightly more reliable than Scottish Gas staff who, it's alleged, committed date rape at their last staff 'morale boosting' party.
The Scotsman would do well to get someone in as an employee...you're hair would go grey within an hour.

As said earlier...we've all went on to better things. I was not involve in the f-eyore over the bracelets but did lose a year & a bit of my life & a lump of sanity in there.
& I know get to eat real food at lunch time!

124 - Glad you now have a job you like. Just hope your new employers like you. Also, your apparent knowledge of what went on last week seems way off the mark to someone who really knows. You are just another spurned employee of a job you could not do in a place you could not function. Simple as

#103 Having been to more than a few of those spirit boosters in the past I can understand why you were not aware of what was going on at this fun event.
After struggling through the comments on this piece of fluff I think we all have away to much time on our hands.

This is no surprise, most of the staff are from Granton, Pilton and muirhouse anyway.

Man, I am so peeved. I worked for SG years ago.
I knew about the mass sackings and the call centre moving from Sunny Granton to India no less. This lead to a lot of people getting miffed to start with. I left way before all the keek started. But I am glad to hear that it all kicked off, as they shafted me as well, and I for one would like to say "Hats Off" to Winnie The Poo. Are they so lenient when it comes to people losing there gas meters because of non payment. Nah!! I know!! It was my job in CS. Don't be cruel to the CS though, they are all a good lot, whats left of them. Most of them come from Granton, and I never met one uneducated person out the lot of them. So guess that was a bit below the belt. My Uncle still works there, hope he was the one that started it all off... goan yersel son!! As for the bottles, it must have been a moral booster, as usually they get plastic cups. I understand full well about why it started, but people should really not believe what they read. Chill oot gadgies!!

How many SG offices are there?.....as NONE of anyones negative comments actually reflect the working environment or culture at Waterfront Avenue. They are from people where either the job role didn't or doesn't suit them (which is fine but why jump on this bandwagon) or they stole money in the August Winnie the Pooh "scandal" (who's fault would that be then?!?). Situations like Sat night (and the Aug scandal) are always dealt with professionally and confidentially by "THE MANAGEMENT" as they have been referred to (remember they are also real people and probably care and do their best for SG staff and customers...when was that a crime??). If you've moved on to pastures new now why so much interest in SG....maybe if you were as enthusiastic towards your job then as you are towards this pathetic blog, you may have been kept on!! Do we need any more comments on this irrelevant article........I don't think so.

Where is the police report? All this violence, people being attacked, 20 in the streets "brawling" They were obviously caught up with more important issues that night to be bothered dealing with what sounds like a riot to me. Go to bed have a good sleep and carry on with your "now" perfect life and I will do the same.

Long term (6 yrs) happy at work Scottish Gas employee

Mr Unfairly dismissed. I know you, why do you consider me to be management ? Is it because I am not as bitter as you ? Is it because I can write a fairly okay piece for this blog (although just noticed the spelling mistake) I don't always agree with the politics but generally it is good, I hope your new employer is happy paying you for the time you spend on this topic.... they may pick you up on it and I'm sure at this point you will go from liking that employer to spouting all sorts of nonsense about your treatment.

AC, hope all is well with you and the p, although not sure I appreciate the deluded comment... we always got on so well....

132 - hear hear, good comment, someone has a balanced point of view and at this point consider my comment(s) ended.

Sleep well unfairly dismissed.

UD - Do you remember me??
I was there between 2000-03 before I came to Oz.
I am sure you know me... I worked beside John the jambo and big craig the DJ. They moved to Electric. Let me know, you may know my overly tall uncle who supports hearts, used to work nights, then days!! Still there!! If you remember Stuart in debt you'll know me... If you know Alex Ross, you will know me!!
If you knew I left and went to Oz - you will know me!!

Heard its all shi*e now at SG!!
These dingles dinnae ken nowt aboot SG.
I was there, I lived the dream!!
If you havent had someone say to you that they where the lion of Judia and they dont have to pay there gas, cause Jesus was gonna pay it, you'll remember me!!!

Cheers fi Keith Miller

A dinnae care, a live in OZ now!!