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Hi.
On Monday 2nd, at work in the works toilets, whilst two colleagues were messing about in the sink, I (thought I) heard a colleague (Person A) make a loud racist remark to his friend (Person B) whilst a black colleague was present. As soon as this 'comment' was made, everybody stopped talking and there was silence whilst the black colleague looked at me and shook his head for a while in what looked like disappointment, washed his hands and then shook his head again, then walked out. I then said to one of the men (Person B who has been talking to Person A at the time) in the toilets something along the lines of 'He shouldn't have said that', to which the man didn't say anything.
After I walked back to my work station I told the man in the next station to me (Person C) what I thought I heard and that I didn't know what to do and wanted his advice, I also mentioned that they were messing about in the sink. Shortly after that, Person B came up to me and asked what I meant when I had spoken to him in the toilets. I told him what I thought I heard Person A say and asked would Person A had said this. He explained that he didn't hear anything as his ear plugs had been too deep in his hear (even though he had had a whole conversation with Person A) and that he doubted this.
I did not speak to anyone else about this matter. Unfortunately, whilst everyone was going home that evening, Person C approached Person A to ask him what he had said. Person A then denied any knowledge of having said anything racist and became angry.
The next morning, Tuesday 3rd, Person C came up to me and explained that he had inadvertently 'dropped me in it'.
My supervisor then came to speak to me to ask me what had happened and I said three times that what I was about to say was off the record, he agreed, I then told him what had happened.
A while after this, to attempt to clear it up, I then called my black colleague over and asked him (Without specifying what I thought I had heard) why he had shaken his head at me in the toilets the previous night. He made out that he didn't know what I was talking about and eventually said that he was shaking his head at how Person A and B were 'messing around with the soap in the toilets', which I found slightly odd. I then asked him why there was suddenly a long silence in the toilets and then how everybody had walked out. He said he had no idea why they had stopped talking so suddenly.
Later that morning, Person A's friend walked up to me (whilst a witness was present and on video camera) in an intimidating manner and repeatedly asked me 'Are you happy with yourself?'.
I was then asked in to a meeting with my supervisor and a person from HR to explain what had happened. After having spoken to my black colleague and heard his version of what had happened, I took his version as the truth so explained everything that had happened, minus the alleged racist comment, and how my black colleague had shook his head at me in disappointment at how childish Person A and B had been with the soap. I also told how I had spoken to Person C but that I had told him about the soap incident but did not mention that I had discussed the alleged racist comment.
Later that day, my supervisor came to see me and asked why the statement I had given at the meeting was so different to what I had told him (off the record). I explained that at that time, I had believed my version of events but since my black colleague had come to speak to me, and clarified what had happened, I knew that I must have been mistaken. Later that day I spoke again to my supervisor to tell him that I needed to add to my statement what I had believed before my black colleague had spoken to me.
On Wednesday night, at a comedy gig with my girlfriend, Person A's friend (the one who had tried to intimidate me at work), walked over to me in a threatening way, getting up close, and kept questioning why I had said what I had said to Person C. I explained that that is what I believed to be the truth. He then had to be pulled away by his friend.
On Friday I got the opportunity to add to my statement with my supervisor, HR person and my Union rep present. I explained that if I had had to make my original statement on Monday evening then I would have had the viewpoint that something racist was said, or possibly said, but by the time I had to make my statement, my black colleague had explained to me that I was wrong and had misheard and that I took this as the truth so that is why I said what I believed to be the truth.
My supervisor said that being as all the statements did not fit correctly that, according the work handbook, I was to be suspended on full pay until an investigation has been made. My Union representative looked at the other statements and will be speaking to his Union area manager for further advice.
To be honest, I feel pretty hard done by but that's beside the point. I have posted this on here to please ask for some thoughts on what I need to do and/or what the likely conclusion to this will be?
I expect to receive a letter in this morning's post to notify me that I am to attend a disciplinary meeting.
On Monday 2nd, at work in the works toilets, whilst two colleagues were messing about in the sink, I (thought I) heard a colleague (Person A) make a loud racist remark to his friend (Person B) whilst a black colleague was present. As soon as this 'comment' was made, everybody stopped talking and there was silence whilst the black colleague looked at me and shook his head for a while in what looked like disappointment, washed his hands and then shook his head again, then walked out. I then said to one of the men (Person B who has been talking to Person A at the time) in the toilets something along the lines of 'He shouldn't have said that', to which the man didn't say anything.
After I walked back to my work station I told the man in the next station to me (Person C) what I thought I heard and that I didn't know what to do and wanted his advice, I also mentioned that they were messing about in the sink. Shortly after that, Person B came up to me and asked what I meant when I had spoken to him in the toilets. I told him what I thought I heard Person A say and asked would Person A had said this. He explained that he didn't hear anything as his ear plugs had been too deep in his hear (even though he had had a whole conversation with Person A) and that he doubted this.
I did not speak to anyone else about this matter. Unfortunately, whilst everyone was going home that evening, Person C approached Person A to ask him what he had said. Person A then denied any knowledge of having said anything racist and became angry.
The next morning, Tuesday 3rd, Person C came up to me and explained that he had inadvertently 'dropped me in it'.
My supervisor then came to speak to me to ask me what had happened and I said three times that what I was about to say was off the record, he agreed, I then told him what had happened.
A while after this, to attempt to clear it up, I then called my black colleague over and asked him (Without specifying what I thought I had heard) why he had shaken his head at me in the toilets the previous night. He made out that he didn't know what I was talking about and eventually said that he was shaking his head at how Person A and B were 'messing around with the soap in the toilets', which I found slightly odd. I then asked him why there was suddenly a long silence in the toilets and then how everybody had walked out. He said he had no idea why they had stopped talking so suddenly.
Later that morning, Person A's friend walked up to me (whilst a witness was present and on video camera) in an intimidating manner and repeatedly asked me 'Are you happy with yourself?'.
I was then asked in to a meeting with my supervisor and a person from HR to explain what had happened. After having spoken to my black colleague and heard his version of what had happened, I took his version as the truth so explained everything that had happened, minus the alleged racist comment, and how my black colleague had shook his head at me in disappointment at how childish Person A and B had been with the soap. I also told how I had spoken to Person C but that I had told him about the soap incident but did not mention that I had discussed the alleged racist comment.
Later that day, my supervisor came to see me and asked why the statement I had given at the meeting was so different to what I had told him (off the record). I explained that at that time, I had believed my version of events but since my black colleague had come to speak to me, and clarified what had happened, I knew that I must have been mistaken. Later that day I spoke again to my supervisor to tell him that I needed to add to my statement what I had believed before my black colleague had spoken to me.
On Wednesday night, at a comedy gig with my girlfriend, Person A's friend (the one who had tried to intimidate me at work), walked over to me in a threatening way, getting up close, and kept questioning why I had said what I had said to Person C. I explained that that is what I believed to be the truth. He then had to be pulled away by his friend.
On Friday I got the opportunity to add to my statement with my supervisor, HR person and my Union rep present. I explained that if I had had to make my original statement on Monday evening then I would have had the viewpoint that something racist was said, or possibly said, but by the time I had to make my statement, my black colleague had explained to me that I was wrong and had misheard and that I took this as the truth so that is why I said what I believed to be the truth.
My supervisor said that being as all the statements did not fit correctly that, according the work handbook, I was to be suspended on full pay until an investigation has been made. My Union representative looked at the other statements and will be speaking to his Union area manager for further advice.
To be honest, I feel pretty hard done by but that's beside the point. I have posted this on here to please ask for some thoughts on what I need to do and/or what the likely conclusion to this will be?
I expect to receive a letter in this morning's post to notify me that I am to attend a disciplinary meeting.
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