A Pounds 5,710 Fine

[Hadd-Torr Singh]

A Pounds 5,710 Fine - the Only Language One Firm Understands ; 'NO PUNJABI', WORKER TOLD

Source: Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK)

Publication date: 2004-07-08

A SIKH who was sacked after speaking Punjabi at work has been awarded almost pounds 6,000.

Balbir Kaur, aged 30, of Kings Heath, won pounds 5,710 after a Birmingham employment tribunal ruled that she had been racially discriminated against by Clive Mark Schoolwear Ltd, of Kings Norton.

The company has lodged an appeal against the tribunal ruling through its representatives Richard Hall & Partners.

Tribunal chairman Salim Ahmed said: 'We conclude that this was not a trivial one-off offence. The applicant was dismissed on the grounds of her race.

'She must have suffered some injury to her feelings and have been offended by this act of discrimination.'

At a hearing in April the tribunal was told that Ms Kaur was employed as an office assistant at the firm in January 2003.

She said that during an appraisal in March 2003 she was instructed by company director Philip Linz not to speak Punjabi at work.

Ms Kaur claimed that she had only spoken in Punjabi on two or three occasions to another staff member on workrelated matters.

A month later she was sacked after her employers stated that her telephone manner was unsatisfactory.

Mr Linz told the tribunal in April that this was not an act of racism.

'I said it would be right for a member of my staff to ask the other Asian colleagues not to speak in their language.

'I did not consider that to be racist.'

The tribunal heard that since this incident Ms

Kaur 'thinks twice' before speaking in Punjabi.

She said: 'I never used to think twice about speaking in Punjabi to those who understood it, but I look around and feel frightened of speaking it as I might cause offence.'

Following this week's tribunal ruling in Birmingham Ms Kaur said: 'I am appalled that they have told me that they are going to lodge an appeal.

'No representative from the company turned up, they only sent their lawyers and they have still not apologised to me.'

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