Courts / Ireland / Report

Tow truck worker went off with car while child remained inside

Summary

A retired tow‑truck worker, who had been issued a final written warning in July 2023 after towing a vehicle that later revealed a child in the back seat, sought compensation for the stress of the disciplinary process. His representative argued that he was unfairly singled out, citing a handful of similar incidents that had attracted public outcry. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) had recommended that the warning be removed from the worker's file and that both parties move on, noting that the warning had expired in April 2024 and the worker had retired in February. The WRC also advised that the disciplinary records be deleted from the file. The employer maintained that the incident was serious and could have been avoided if proper procedures had been followed, and that new safeguards had since been introduced. The WRC concluded the dispute was moot and urged both sides to move forward.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Tow truck worker went off with car while child remained inside. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• July 2023 Incident
• 25 May 2023 Other
• 4 July Other
• April 2024 Other
• 2024-05-17 Publication

Why: The worker's representative had argued that his client was unfairly "singled out and punished" because there had been "a few cases" of clamping or towing vehicles where children were later discovered to be inside, which had "generated public outcry". CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report