Update on the praying at work case:
Last week the branch website carried coverage of the case of a Muslim member working in the Play Service, who was having five minutes’ pay deducted each working day when he prayed. UNISON repeatedly raised the issue on the member’s behalf, arguing that smokers did not have their pay docked so treatment here should be comparable, and we are pleased to report that a meeting has now been arranged for this week with local management and HR with the aim of resolving the issue. In the meantime, Councillor Nasim Ali, former Council leader and now Cabinet member for Young People, has told the Camden New Journal (http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/may/town-hall-climbdown-over-plans-deduct-pay-muslim-employee-time-he-takes-pray) that has “asked for the deduction to be stopped. We do not wish to see small deductions from salaries for small periods of time to pray.”
Needless to say, we welcome Councillor Ali’s statement and very much hope that a satisfactory resolution emerges before this week is out to draw a line under what we believe was an isolated case.