True Confessions

Then the Exec, members who voted for the dismissal began their defence with all the professionalism of a debating team.

The first speaker was Woman Vice-President, Rae Mazengarb, who told us that it had been a far from easy situation, and if there had been a viable alternative they would have taken it. No personal feelings were involved. She went on to consider the role of the office staff - to help the Exec. Without this help, Exec is hindered and can't function properly.

Rae said that Mrs Goodall's attitude was not helpful, especially some of her comments about members of the Exec, Mike Curtis in particular, who, Mrs Goodall claimed, had not helped her and was under Steve Underwood's influence anyway. She apparently instilled fear of Steve in the office workers by telling them to 'Look busy' when he was around - thereby turning him into some sort of ogre.

Rae also said that the Exec had a responsibility to the office staff, and shouldn't have to worry about internal conflict, much of which was being caused by Mrs Goodall. Rae said she had received complaints from the staff over Mrs Goodall's gossip about Exec and staff members, and one staff member actually resigned because of it. The whole matter came to a head when she hired a full-time telephonist (telephonists aren't usually full time) on a wage higher than that of the other office workers. Rae said that when Mrs Goodall's dismissal was announced, she found that another girl working in the office had been intending to resign the next day, because of Mrs Goodall.

Finally, she repeated that the decision had been a difficult one, taking two hours of discussion to reach, and was finally made reluctantly.