By Asia Samachar | Britain |
A Michelin-starred chef is being sued for religious discrimination after an employee claimed he was told to take off his traditional Sikh bangle, called kara, in case it got stuck in a ladle.
Herbert Berger, who has won three Michelin stars, is being taken to court by Niranjit Moorah Singh who was allegedly told to remove the bangle from his wrist, reports MyLondon.
Singh was an assistant manager, earning £30,000 a year, at Berger’s catering establishment. He began causal work at Berger’s establishment at Innholders Hall in 2010, then worked his way up until his employment ended in September 2020.
In his employment tribunal testimony he claimed Berger asked him to take the bangle off because he was concerned it could get “stuck” in a “ladle whilst saucing the food”, according to the report.
“Every time Herbert sees me wearing my Sikh Bangle since April he asked me to remove it…He calls it a bracelet; he never [asks] me what is this in your hand that you [are] wearing….[In] my 20 years working and living in London no employer has asked me to remove my Sikh Bangle,” he was quoted in the report.
Singh said he has worn the bangle, which belonged to his grandad, for over three decades.
“[The] Bangle was given to me by my late grandfather who was still alive in Malaysia. I brought this with me in memory of him and I have used this Sikh Bangle in my hand for more than 35 years now,” he said.
Berger’s lawyers were successful in having Singh’s claims thrown out in July, however, Singh was unaware of the hearing and he will be given another opportunity to argue his claim this month. Singh said he couldn’t attend the initial hearing because he was at work and was unable to answer phone calls, the report added.
RELATED STORY:
Winners of Guru Nanak Social Mobility Bar Scholarship 2021 (Asia Samachar, 11 Dec 2021)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here
