[Junk Box Nick]

Apart from a very short spell over forty years ago, my working life has not been spent in anything to do with radio/electronics (though my experience back then was that health and safety didn't exist!).

My work has taken me into lots of different firms for contracts of varying duration and I have seen plenty of the stuff you describe go on. The other element and often of considerable significance is, of course, workplace politics. I've often seen instances where certain people are picked on unfairly, or treated in a different way to others, and indeed I've occasionally been the victim of it myself. The reasons can be many and varied and there is always an element of whether one's face fits. Unfortunate incidents often provide a convenient excuse to achieve other aims.

The cunning manager knows how to stay just short of constructive dismissal whilst employing tactics to make life difficult enough for those they want removed. The industry I work in consists of mainly small firms where union representation barely exists and those that are members of a trade union will only use it as a last resort - to assist in a claim for unfair dismissal for example - as once it is known you are a member of a trade union your card is marked.

It's astonishing how many more experienced and conscientious people I have seen removed by these tactics. (There are, of course, other more straightforward means of dealing with those who are not very competent.)

The situation where you are told to observe two sets of rules which contradict each other is a stock management tactic. The other one is not being informed of procedures so that you can then be pulled up for not doing the job (in someone else's opinion) the correct way. This tactic is as old as time and usually employed as a means of putting people in their place. In my experience, working in places where you have to spend a lot of time 'playing the game' removes energy from doing the job at hand and is never a satisfactory experience.

From what I've read of the account the treatment seems unduly harsh. A recent incident at a place I was working resulted in everyone sitting down and deciding what should be done so that it didn't occur again. This usually works in environments where everyone's ability and experience is respected.

Sadly, in situations such as you describe you are invariably on a loser. Unless circumstances change the best you can do is bide your time and pick the best moment to find pastures new.