A French supermarket security guard fired after watching a televised World Cup football match with a subordinate has gone to court to challenge his sacking.
Daniel Moreau, a 46-year-old former police officer who worked at an Auchan supermarket in the central town of Chatellerault since 2008, has filed a complaint with France’s labour tribunal claiming unfair dismissal.
He was fired last month for “serious misconduct” after his employer discovered that Moreau stopped by from time to time to watch a security monitor that was turned to face a store television showing the July 4 match in which Germany beat France 1-0.
A security guard under Moreau’s supervision remained before the security monitors for the duration of the game.
“Management claims that by watching the match we abandoned store security. This is false,” Moreau told AFP on Wednesday. “The match was on one screen but the 11 others were showing the store.”
The other employee was called in by management on Tuesday and was expected to find out within a month if he would face disciplinary action, a union source said.
Auchan, one of France’s largest retailers, refused to comment on the case.
“The procedure is under way. We have no other comment to make,” its press service said.
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