Hi!
Well, the saga at Gordon Ramsay was pretty OK!!! with my activities and involvement in the day to day activities, when I was asked to avail my annual vacation where the company has the policy of not carrying forward or en cashing the leave... one is suppose to utilize the vacation.. I was suggested to avail.. whilst I proposed that I would be taking it in Jan. as I am planning to bringing in the family to London!!!.
I had to subsequently pre-postned the holidays with a short stint of 10 days sighting Mum's ill health and eventually Koki's marriage.. ( Another occasion that I do not want to relate and relive the situation that were heartening.. to all concerned..!)I , was due to depart and had to postpone the departure date by 5 days.... - A catastrophic decision.. I tried conveying the news to Chef, who did not answer his call and eventually I had to send an email..!
I had fallen from the grace of the Chef and eventually after I returned from India, it was a cold war situation... As I returned.. I was handed a list of " Job to be done " and there were no staff allotted to me.. and just one commis chef was with me - While he referred to me about the impractical situation that was forced on him to go through the procedure with list of Job To DO.. and eventually to my surprise.. he too was asked to leave after clocking in 9 hours.. and later I was aided by another chef who had met with an accident and he was recuperating from his injury . He could not be on his heel for the entire 9 hours and he was asked to sit and do the possible errands..! and finally I ended up summing up all the chores with little or less or no hands in my department...!
The situation was getting from bad to worse.. I realized the downfall while.. in an instant I was stuck in the service lift.. where all the emergency calls from the faulty lifts goes to the control room and it was a weekend and towards the end of the day...! ( Imagine the coincidence..) I was hurrying to reach to basement and I used the service lift.. and it stopped half way through...! I called the control room... then I could not use my mobile.. I was fishing inside the lift at one point.. I was able to call the kitchen..! I conveyed the message that I was stuck in the lift and to convey the message to Chef and the duty Manager..!!!! again my line went dead..! I was stumped out for almost 2 hours..! no one were bothered or enquired.. and as my absence was not an issue to chef he ignored the issue same with the Manager.. I had been disgusted and annoyed by this scenario made me to realise that I am no more important in the hierarchy!!! As a chef absent from the activity for 2 hours.. and none cared about it.. What if some thing had happened.. then too it would be the same..( Eventually it did happen.. - The accident..the reaction to it by the chef In Charge had been remorse and inconsiderate..)
At the begining of my span with Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited at T5,- one of the electrical point was near to the washing sink at the prepeatory kitchen. At that point the electricity was leaking to the wall. The moment I was informed about this.. I had access to the file - Kitchen snag List- updating it was one of my responsibilities that was entrusted to me..(Subsequently.. all my responsibilities were peeled away by the chef.. for reasons known only to him..! and that list was never updated.)I after mentioning it in the snag list did refer to the chef. He never took that, as a serious issue rather he was critical and humorous in the coinage of word that I had mentioned as statement of the incident..! He never bothered to suggest any alternate, rather referring that to be an issue to be sorted from the corporate office..!THIS DID PUT ME OFF.. WITH SUCH RECKLESS ATTITUDE TOWARDS HEALTH AND SAFETY !
The staff meal at the place was a pathetic scene...! The company worked on a budget and Kitchen - chefs were mocked at as they did not have the chance to swap any dish even for tasting or rather.. as a part of the meal.. and eventually .. it was asked to me, to organise the staff meal... - Nothing to be cooked in the kitchen just to prepare cold food with available resources...! Initially all were applauding as it was a great relief for all the members since it was not a packet of Expiry dated meal from... EAT.. and also it being prepared fresh for them in our kitchen... Subsequently.. with the work load increasing and cost measures in application... the request for the Staff meal was deleted and were asked to prepare sandwich with only that is available in the kitchen rather than increasing the inventory.. and I was put in a fix,- while the chef is not around.. and the Manager in charge would barge in to criticise the quality of food and complaining that his staff-- ( I was amazed that we were not considered as part of the staff team)who break their back for 9 hours.. to get such crap food.. ( He was ignorant that all the Chefs in the Kitchen particularly Asians who clock more than 11-12 hours a day go empty stomach as we were neither get relieved for break nor offered anything as refreshment!!)
Then the issue against me took the most horrendous situation towards racism .. all my colleagues who are junior ( Non Asians!!!)to me were asked to leave while they have finished their hours - Mind you not the days' work. I was claimed to be the custodian of the section and colleagues or subordinates with me!!! I had to see that the Job List gets accomplished - which means - I complete it no matter what ever it takes in terms of time ...
The final blow to my obsession came the day I met with the accident... As usual, I was occupied with the list of the day chores to be completed.. there was some new dished being included in the menu and eventuallly that ingredient was not getting delivered on time... Chef was going beserk with the situation as he had been ignoring me.. did not mention anything about this. I out of concern.. got details from DHL customer care.. it was of futile exercise as Chef was not acknowledging my presence..!With too many things happening around and with piling up work... I was alone in the kitchen and one of the Chef De Partie- David was around I was cutting the celeriac and I was using the slicing machine.. a big chunk got stuck between the blade and I switched the machine off and raised the gaurd , the chunk got badly stuck.. I tried to remove it .. seeing the blade I thought of pushing the bit from the back..as I leaned over the machine and push the chunk.. it skidded out and simultaneously my fingers came in line with the slicing disc that chopped my finger with nails and for a moment I could only feel a burning sensation and then suddenly there was a splurt of blood ...I was in deep pain.. I immediatly rushed to the sink to wash my hand, assuming it to be a slight cut.. but to my surprise it was quite serious... I came back to the machine and pull down the gaurd and the bleeding was like... water flowing from the tap....!!That moment.. I really regretted... why all this.. to prove what...! despite such long experience .. coming down the line and trying to prove WHAT... putting at stake all my responsibilities as - Huisband, Father, Son, Son In Law, Brother, Friend and colleague.. The only soul around - who was concerned and did exhibit the feeling was Muruganandam... , The moment he saw the profuse bleeding. he instatnly yelled and he began chidding me for be careless.. We were nrgotiating the bleeding and tried to apply direct pressure and I asked for a bandage cloth to apply torq to arrest the bleeding...and meanwhile the health & safety officer of T5 presented himself.. and one of the paramedic.. ( It was not like the incident like the one in the LIFT...)It was all instantaneous...!
The moment the paramedic saw the wrist band he cursed me and removed the knot and asked me to raise my arm above my shoulder.. and then the NHS paramedic came..Then it was another.. irony.. Both the Paramedics ignoring my state of bleeding and injury . the paramedic at T5 and NHS where arguing and debating that who was In Charge of the situation .. They came to a decision and then First Aid was done to me.. They applied bandage and put an arm sling and I was taken out to the ambulance through the kitchen...
Chef not even turning his face towards me.. but said..." Sekar send me an email... regarding the status and your medical leave.. no need to call me.. send me an email..! He reiterated to me and I was quite baffled by this kind of inhuman treatment.. Yes all have pressure at work.. but.. not such disassocciated management..! When I walked out of that kitchen.. I decided that I would not step in again into to that Death trap like place..!
I sincerely thank GOD for having made that possible...!
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