AN ENGLISH pipe fitter who was verbally and racially abused while working for an engineering company has been awarded €20,000 in compensation by an Equality Tribunal.
The man said he was called names by his colleagues because of his background and became the butt of racist jokes and taunting almost immediately after starting work on a Dublin construction site in April 2006.
He said just two weeks into the job he began eating lunch in his car when canteen banter, such as negative reports about England's performance in the 2006 World Cup and comments about the Sellafield nuclear power plant, was being directed at him by his co-workers.
The man, who requested he remain anonymous and was referred to as "Mr C", told the tribunal his colleagues would say "send the Brit in" to clear the way if they had to enter any potentially dangerous areas in their work.
He said some colleagues never spoke to him and others deliberately sang politically-charged Irish rebel songs in his presence.
The man was made redundant just two months after taking the position and he told the tribunal he believed he was sacked instead of a less-experienced Irish worker because he was British.
He said it was initially indicated to him that his role in the company could last for more than 12 months.
He said when the subject of redundancy arose one colleague said "the Brit should be sacked and an Irishman should not be let go" and that another worker told his supervisor "no Irishman is going out of the gate while we employ a Brit".
He alleged his supervisor was also intimidating towards him and joined in on the abuse, sniggering and joking with his colleagues.
When asked why he did not complain to anybody else during his period of employment, the Englishman responded that he did not know who to see, since his supervisor was joining in the harassment. He also needed the €1,450 a week he was earning to provide for himself and for his family.
The engineering company rejected the man's claim, said he was not discriminated against and alleged he never complained to his manager about any form of abuse.
It said the man was selected for redundancy because he had less service than other workers on the site, the last-in-first-out principle was followed and at no time did it give a guarantee of 12 months' work to the man.
The tribunal found the man was racially harassed and that some of acts he was subjected to were of a blatant and intimidatory nature. It said the company had not taken practicable steps to prevent his harassment on grounds of race.
It ordered the company to pay the man €20,000 in compensation, but it deemed he was not chosen for redundancy because of his nationality.
