A BRITISH AIRWAYS employee, Nadia Eweida, this week lost her case for religious discrimination against the airline. Ms Eweida took voluntary unpaid leave because, as part of a uniform policy, she was asked to remove a cross she wore around her neck (News, 24 November 2006). After pressure from the Archbishop of York, among others, British Airways relented and changed its code, but challenged Ms Eweida’s claim that its treatment of her amounted to religious discrimination.
An employment tribunal concluded this week: “The complaint of direct discrimination fails because we find that the claimant did not, on grounds of religion or belief, suffer less favourable treatment than a comparator in identical circumstances.”
Ms Eweida said she was speechless, having turned down an offer of £8500 to settle out of court.
In an unrelated case, a north-London council confirmed this week that a Christian employee is to claim discrimination at an employment tribunal after refusing to preside at civil partnerships because of her religious beliefs.
Islington Council, in north London, said that it was “robustly defending the claim”, but did not want to comment further at this stage. The employee has not been named. Hundreds of same-sex couples have undertaken civil-partnership ceremonies at Islington Town Hall since the Civil Partnership Act became law in December 2005.