IKEA delivery drivers who refused to hand over a package to Dom Joly claim they are facing the sack after suffering a barrage of ‘hate’ online.
Blake Callus, 23, and his driver father Paul, 45, had abuse hurled at them by the comedian’s 103,000 followers after he posted a video of them on social media.
During the clip the pair apparently refused to hand over his goods after they could not find a safe place to park.
Delivery drivers Blake Callus, 23, and his driver father Paul, 45, are facing the sack after refusing to hand over a package to comedian Dom Joly
Joly can then be seen yelling at the men because they would not accept his offer to pay for a space near his London townhouse.
However, Mr Callus has claimed the video does not show the full story and that he and his father were simply following orders.
The zero-hours agency workers earn between £75 and £85 for working up to 12 hours a day for agency DX Delivery.
They claimed their employers forbid them from letting customers pay for parking bays.
Mr Callus said Joly punched their van before screaming ‘I’m not f****** moving’ and their bosses suggested they call the police and abort the delivery.
He claimed his father has now been suspended without pay, while he could be left without work because drivers are employed in pairs.
‘What’s sad is that we get abused by customers every day, day in and day out. It’s terrible.
‘But this one happens to be famous so now my dad loses his job’, he said.
Paul Callus, left, was filmed allegedly refusing to carry the Ikea goods up to Dom Joly’s flat, right
‘I didn’t even know who he was until I got back to the office,
‘I’d never watched that Happy TV thing and I thought he was a traveller to be honest.
‘It might be a joke for him to put on Facebook so people watch it, but it’s not fun and games for us. We are just trying to do our job.
‘There are really strict rules about where we can and can’t park which we have to follow or we get in trouble.
‘The amount of hate we’re receiving is ridiculous.
‘We were just doing our job and trying to resolve a situation we have never been in before.
He was really threatening. It’s horrible to go to work and be shouted at day in day out, but this is by far the worst I have been treated
‘He was really threatening. It’s horrible to go to work and be shouted at day in day out, but this is by far the worst I have been treated.’
The altercation happened on September 28 and was the seventh of dozens of deliveries the pair were due to make that day.
Joly’s clip shows him accusing Mr Callus and his father of refusing to make his delivery.
He appears to tell them to park in a space outside his house, then another down the road, and a third further along the street
Mr Callus said the first was a ‘suspended’ space, which can carry a fine if used, the second was too small for the van and the third was a pay and display.
‘When we arrive to jobs we have to assess the property for health and safety issues the main problem about this job was the parking situation,’ he said.
‘We can’t park in suspended parking bays as the fine would be down to us to pay for.
During the clip Joly (left) can then be seen yelling at the men because they would not accept his offer to pay for a space near his London townhouse
‘He then suggested for us to park in a small space where our van wouldn’t fit and then later suggested paying for a pay and display ticket for us.
‘We aren’t allowed to take payment from customers for parking – I don’t no why – but that’s why the phone call to our department was made.
‘We told him about this bloke shouting and screaming and we were told to phone the police and to put it as a delivery fail.
‘We didn’t phone the police.
‘What his film doesn’t show is him swearing and refusing to move.
‘He stood in front of our van shouting ‘I’m not moving or letting you go until I get my f****** delivery’.’
In a second clip, Mr Callus’ father appears to concede that if a ticket is bought, the van will be able to park in the space.
But after going to pay for a ticket, Joly returns to find that the driver has driven off in his van.
‘This is what we are up against everyday and now my face is all over the internet,’Mr Callus said.
‘We were just doing our job and trying to resolve a situation we have never been in before.’
It is understood Paul Callus was suspended on Friday after he posted Facebook comments defending his actions.