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Plan Your SALTEX Visit

October 17, 2018/in Events, News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Plan Your SALTEX Visit: SALTEX 2018 is fast approaching, and here is a reminder of everything you need to know ahead of Europe’s largest annual turf management event, taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on 31 October – 01 November. Firstly… 1. Register for FREE to get your ticket in advance and avoid the queues. 2. Plan your route. […]

Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed

October 17, 2018/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed: A former course manager has told Montrose Links golf management committee to “consider their positions” after emerging successful from an unfair dismissal fight. Niall Bruce, 47, who spent 10 years in the post, was the victim of a restructuring exercise and said his “head was on the platter” before the process had […]

Plan Your SALTEX Visit

October 17, 2018/in Events, News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed

October 17, 2018/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Plan Your SALTEX Visit

October 17, 2018/in Events, News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Firstly…

1. Register for FREE to get your ticket in advance and avoid the queues.

2. Plan your route. Located in the centre of the UK, whether you are travelling from overseas or within the UK, the NEC is easy to get to by car, rail or air.
This year, anyone attending SALTEX, can save 25% on car parking charges. Event organisers have negotiated a freeze on the £12 charge, which the NEC have just increased to £16 for other visitors. Alternatively, the IOG is also providing one free parking voucher for each membership account, be that an Individual or Organisation/Company. Simply bring your membership card to the IOG Hub (stand C180) and collect the FREE car park voucher

When you get to SALTEX 2018…

1. Update yourself on industry trends, techniques and latest innovations at the Innovation Hub on stand K021.

2. Gain CPD points by attending any of the 53 FREE-to-attend educational seminars through the Learning LIVE programme.

3. Bring along your soil sample to the Pathology & Soil Science LIVE clinic, located on the IOG Hub between 11am and 1pm each day.

4. Get face-to-face FREE expert, impartial advice from the IOG’s regional pitch advisors on stand E180.

5. Make sure you sign-up for the Women in Turf (via the IOG Hub) and the Lawn Care Legends (Concourse Suites 22-23) networking events.

6. Ready to make your next career move? Visit careers counsellor Frank Newberry between 9am and 3pm each day at the Job Clinic on the IOG Hub for the best career advice you’ll ever receive.

7. See the latest products in action at the SALTEX Outdoor Demo area, outside Halls 6,7 & 8.

8. Bring your shooting boots and try your luck in the penalty shoot-out competition on stand K189. Hosted by Rigby Taylor on behalf of the Perennial charity the competition is free to enter, but donations are appreciated – and a major prize is up for grabs!

9. Have fun! Walk the three large halls and network with thousands of other like-minded individuals – don’t forget to bring your business cards!

SALTEX 2018 is free to attend. To register your attendance and beat the queues visit www.iogsaltex.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed

October 17, 2018/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Niall Bruce, 47, who spent 10 years in the post, was the victim of a restructuring exercise and said his “head was on the platter” before the process had even commenced.

Mr Bruce started as a greenkeeper with Montrose Golf Links Ltd (MGLL) in June 2002 before being promoted to first assistant in 2003 and course manager in 2008.

In January it was announced the jobs of course manager, first assistant and chargehand would no longer exist but would be replaced by roles for head greenkeeper, assistant greenkeeper and greenkeeper.

Mr Bruce said all three believed it would have been appropriate to simply slot them into these roles without having to go through a redundancy-type process and apply for the posts.

He was interviewed for the head greenkeeper job but was not successful and was made redundant, despite lodging an appeal that the redundancy process had been misapplied.

“I should have been matched to the new post of head greenkeeper without having to apply for the post,” he said.

“The roles of head greenkeeper and course manager are the same job and restructuring was merely a means to substitute a new face in place of myself.”

Mr Bruce was awarded £21,777 for unfair dismissal which included one years’ wage loss and two years’ loss of pension contributions following the conclusion of a two-day employment tribunal hearing in Dundee.

Judge Ian McFatridge said he could see “no real logical linkage” between the restructuring plan and the need to get rid of a course manager and replace this with the role of head greenkeeper “which seemed to have identical functions”.

He said he was not prepared to accept that MGLL “had overcome the initial hurdle of establishing a potentially fair reason for dismissal”.

Mr Bruce said: “It has become clear throughout this process however, that as already stated my head was on the platter before the process had even commenced.

“I am pleased by the employment tribunal outcome that I was unfairly dismissed as taking your former employer to court is a stressful business.

“I remain disappointed at how Montrose Golf Links Ltd (MGLL) acted towards me and hope in future they will learn to respect and value their staff.

“I feel that Angus Council who own the golf course land that MGLL operate from should consider how MGLL acts in its duties to its staff and perhaps they should consider a more active involvement in the company particularly with regard to human resources.

“In short I feel that the entire MGLL Committee who bear responsibility for my unfair dismissal should consider their positions carefully and if they remain as committee members will hopefully will act more professionally and honourably towards their staff in future.”

Mr Bruce told the tribunal he did not wish to be reinstated and has since taken up employment as a greenkeeper at St Andrews.

A spokesman for Montrose Golf Links said: “We are in the process of considering the judgement.”

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For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Plan Your SALTEX Visit

Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed

Plan Your SALTEX Visit

Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Plan Your SALTEX Visit

Course Manager Unfairly Dismissed

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