Court orders company to rehire waste collector after rubbishing excuse

A Portuguese court has ordered a waste removal company to rehire an employee it fired for being drunk on his rounds and said tipsy trash men appear happier to members of the public.

The appeals court in Porto, a northern city renowned for its port wines, also ordered the company to pay the man 14 months’ worth of back wages.

The three judges ruled that the waste collector had not broken any rules on alcohol consumption at work because the firm had not written any.