Sacked driver dresses up as banana in bid to win job back 

A sacked Lancashire lorry driver has launched a campaign to get his job
back by dressing up as a banana.

Michael Joyce was sacked from Clitheroe's Castle Cement works after
calling in sick last week. He accepts the company was within its rights.

He's been standing outside the factory for the last two days, wearing a
banana suit and holding a placard saying: "If this is justice, I'm a
banana."

He says he's "a-peeling" to the company's sense of justice.

The placard is like the one Private Eye editor Ian Hislop held after he
lost a libel suit.

Mr Joyce, who's not taking the matter any further, said: "I'd worked a
56-hour week driving for the company and was told on the afternoon of
Friday March 16 that I was to go into work at 4am instead of 6am on
Saturday, to take a load up to Scotland. It just slipped out when I joked
I might be ill on that day.

"It was Sod's Law. I was sick all night but managed to ring in to work on
Saturday morning to make sure someone could take over the delivery."

Bosses said he was in breach of his contract - a point he accepts.

According to the This Is Lancashire website, he said: "I was within the
contracted hours of 120 a fortnight so the company has sacked me
legitimately and legally and I haven't a leg to stand on."

The company said: "Castle Cement has upheld a decision to dismiss Mr
Joyce, who was employed as a driver within the distribution department at
the Ribblesdale cement works, after he was found to be in breach of his
contract."

Copyright 2001 Ananova Ltd