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When the gloves are off

11 March 2010 / Jon Robins
Issue: 7408 / Categories: Opinion , Tribunals , Employment
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Earlier this year Watford employment tribunal awarded Elon de Oliveira £35,700 after a sustained period of racist abuse he suffered at work as a hospital porter at Hammersmith Hospital...

Jon Robins reveals some hard truths about employment tribunal anomalies

Earlier this year Watford employment tribunal awarded Elon de Oliveira £35,700 after a sustained period of racist abuse he suffered at work as a hospital porter at Hammersmith Hospital.

Elon was harassed on an almost daily basis over two years by his manager and supervisor, a particularly unpleasant father and son team. Taunts included: “F*** off back to Brazil, you Brazilian c**t”, and “All Brazilians have sex changes, when are you getting yours?” It wasn’t just verbal insults, Elon was also pushed around and his pay stopped.

As a result of a quirk in our legal system, employment cases are deemed “non-contentious” despite the self-evident truth that disputes between workers and bosses can be as bitterly fought as any other kind. This anomaly allows for the use of contingency fees (as opposed

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