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.
This should go ‘viral”. it is oppression pure and simple.
I still can’t quite believe what the council tried to do here. Unbelievable. How could they think that smokers breaks were ok, but praying wasn’t? And, as UNISON says, this action would have had a chilling effect on the morale.
Still can’t quite get my head around such a staggeringly stupid action. .
The only concern is whether staff from other religions will be afforded the same. And what about non-smokers, I suppose they don’t even get an equivalent break in the first place. There is definatley need to look at the situatuon from an Equality perspective. Maybe they should pay everyone’s (short) breaks except the smokers, to encourage people to quit and have a healthier workforce!
As a belated update here we can confirm that meetings to resolve this took place and the pay deductions were reversed