Royal Mail Religious Discrimination over Eid Leave

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 11 Dec 2008, 14:40

http://www.cwu.org.uk/news/archive/roya ... leave.html

With the latest Eid festival just around the corner Royal Mail has again demonstrated a complete insensitivity to dealing with CWU Muslim members' requests for time off to enable them to respect their religious obligations. The latest festival, Eid Al-Adha, begins on Monday and some Muslim workers are still being denied requested time off.

Similar to Christmas and Easter, Royal Mail will or should know that there will be two significant Eid festivals every year - every year this will be the same. This is not a problem for many mail centres and delivery offices where there are large numbers of Muslim workers. Unfortunately Royal Mail has adopted a totally lax attitude at two sites in the South East which is now leading to large grievances against the company. Muslims putting in requests for time off several weeks or even months ago are only now being told that they cannot get the leave they wanted.

The CWU is clear that what is going on in these offices borders on religious discrimination and condemns the situation as completely unacceptable. The process of dealing with leave is a blanket mechanism which applies to all Royal Mail workers. Royal Mail's refusal for time off for these workers is firstly not right, and secondly demonstrates the need for allowances to be made to ensure particular groups are not disadvantaged by blanket decision.

In an unprecedented move, group grievances involving over 30 Muslim workers will be going to management at the two sites in question imminently.

Linda Roy, National Equality Officer, said: "The enquiries that we have received this week demonstrate the need for Royal Mail to take more cognisance of people's religious commitments, in line with what is afforded under legislation relevant to religion and belief.

"We have been very firm in our advice and whilst most Muslim workers managed to get the time off they wanted it was only secured through unnecessary stress. The process of how leave is allocated must be reviewed, as the current process is clearly disadvantaging some Muslim workers, depending on the local administration of Royal Mail management."

Post by **dvbuk55** » 11 Dec 2008, 19:03

No one is allowed leave over the Christmas period in our DO without exception. It is the busiest time of year after all is said and done and as long as I have been here it has been accepted.

Tman · Post by **Tman** » 11 Dec 2008, 19:26

What is the CWU getting involved in now?

No-one gets leave in Xmas pressure in our place no matter how religious they are.

Still, there'll be some fully committed Christians needing A/L next Xmas and Easter if this one goes through....

Post by **baldrick** » 11 Dec 2008, 20:14

dvbuk55 wrote:No one is allowed leave over the Christmas period in our DO without exception. It is the busiest time of year after all is said and done and as long as I have been here it has been accepted.

Actually you should be allowed a small number (5% I think) of people to take leave during the Xmas pressure period.
It was the quid pro quo the CWU got in the agreement to sign for AL up to 18 months in advance, and has been
in place for the last two Xmas periods.
I got leave over Xmas two years ago for the first time in 26 years.

And you are NOT expected to work on Christmas Day which is the day recognised by Christians as the day observed
as Christ's birth day (though in reality it was probably in September or October). December 25th was only taken by
the early Christian Church to take the place of the pagan celebration of the Winter solstice.
And you're not expected to work on Good Friday or Easter Sunday which are the other most significant Christian holy days.

Post by **dvbuk55** » 11 Dec 2008, 21:49

baldrick wrote:
dvbuk55 wrote:No one is allowed leave over the Christmas period in our DO without exception. It is the busiest time of year after all is said and done and as long as I have been here it has been accepted.
Actually you should be allowed a small number (5% I think) of people to take leave during the Xmas pressure period.
It was the quid pro quo the CWU got in the agreement to sign for AL up to 18 months in advance, and has been
in place for the last two Xmas periods.
I got leave over Xmas two years ago for the first time in 26 years.

And you are NOT expected to work on Christmas Day which is the day recognised by Christians as the day observed
as Christ's birth day (though in reality it was probably in September or October). December 25th was only taken by
the early Christian Church to take the place of the pagan celebration of the Winter solstice.
And you're not expected to work on Good Friday or Easter Sunday which are the other most significant Christian holy days.

You may be right - I'm only stating what has been in practice since I joined 20 years ago - how long does Eid last as a matter of interest.

Post by **baldrick** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:29

It's only one day. This year it fell on Monday 8th December, though it begins at sunset the day before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha
It celebrates the day when Ibrahim (or Abraham in Christian/Jewish religions) was instructed by God, as
a test of his faith, to sacrifice his eldest son. When he made preparations to carry this out, God recognised
his faith and told him to sacrifice a ram instead.

NWpostie · Post by **NWpostie** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:31

Where operationally practical they can use their days off to book it, they cannot expect it as a right unfortunately.

This is a Majority Chrtistian country and the calender reflects this, they knew that when they immigrated into this country, those born in this Country also knew this same when they joined RM they knew our working shift patterns, they have the option of not working for RM.

If you start pandering to one minority wishes where do you stop when Hindus, Buddists, Jainist, animist, pagan, jedi warrior etc want their religious holidays as well ?

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:37

Why stop ? think I'm getting to see the light,lots of them

Post by **baldrick** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:46

NWpostie wrote:Where operationally practical they can use their days off to book it

I think this is what they tried to do, weeks or months ago apparently.
But they didn't get a decision in time.
In my MC a folder is put out prior to religious holy days for minority religions, for those who want to take
the day off, out of their AL. If there are more than can be accomodated there is a ballot.
I would have thought that it would have been even more possible to give those who wanted it the day off,
as it was during the Xmas Pressure period, and most offices are flooded with Xmas SA, OT, and Xmas Casuals.

Post by **dvbuk55** » 12 Dec 2008, 18:11

BELIAL wrote:Why stop ? think I'm getting to see the light,lots of them

Are you on the road to Damascus by any chance?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 12 Dec 2008, 18:13

dvbuk55 wrote:
BELIAL wrote:Why stop ? think I'm getting to see the light,lots of them
Are you on the road to Damascus by any chance?

but only at 2.1 miles per hour without stopping

Post by **dvbuk55** » 12 Dec 2008, 18:27

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:
dvbuk55 wrote:
BELIAL wrote:Why stop ? think I'm getting to see the light,lots of them
Are you on the road to Damascus by any chance?
but only at 2.1 miles per hour without stopping

6.44 Kph - we're metric now