STUC ACCUSED OF RACE DISCRIMINATION.

05 September 2018

A former employee of the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC), Zaffir Hakim, has recently been successful in his race discrimination case against the STUC, with the assistance of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Ultimately, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that Mr Hakim had been unfairly dismissed by STUC, after 11 years of service working under a Scottish Government-funded scheme. This scheme was actually targeting workplace racism, although ultimately decided to allow Mr Hakim’s white colleague to stay on in a similar role.

Zaffir Hakim started work under the STUC in 2003, working as a Development Officer for the One Workplace Equal Rights Project, which was launched by STUC in order to “challenge discrimination in the workplace and promote good practice”. Although, Mr Hakim actually made several complaints regarding racial discrimination under STUC, stating:

“I felt strongly that they did this to get rid of me because I had a made a complaint about discrimination before”

“It’s sad when you have to go to a tribunal to challenge discrimination and I am still surprised that the STUC chose to fight this case, given that if they had won, workers’ rights could have been put back by many years”.

At the initial Employment Tribunal, it was made clear that Mr Hakim had experienced victimisation, although his allegation regarding direct discrimination was rejected, however the STUC appealed the victimisation result with the opinion that the findings of the Tribunal were inaccurate.

An spokesperson from the STUC stated:

“We are disappointed by the judgment”

“We have now taken steps to correct our procedures, which will ensure that a similar situation will no longer arise in the future”.

Here at Three Graces Legal we can help anyone who has experienced racial discrimination in the workplace.

Please contact us on 0151 659 1070 to see how we may be of assistance.