Indian woman stripped of her job for wearing nose stud in UK

London: A Hindu worker at Heathrow Airport has lost her job for wearing a tiny nose stud. Amrit Lalji has been sacked just because she wore a small nose stud to workShe told The Pioneer soon after getting a dismissal letter from Eurest, "I am extremely upset by this. The stud has been part of my personality from a very young age. I also apply kumkum (vermilion) everyday as a Hindu married woman. Now I feel I am being discriminated against."

Amrit Lalji, 43, has been in the UK for the last 25 years. She has been working for most of this time, after coming here from Kenya. She says, "My family is originally from Kutch, Gujarat. As a Hindu, I have imbibed the tradition of wearing the shringar of a married woman from my mother."

She claims that the nose stud has been with her in all her past jobs in the UK. It is for the first time that her employer, Eurest, has objected. She had joined the company, which supplies food and services to British Airway's VIP lounge at Heathrow, 16 months ago.

Amrit Lalji from Stanmore in North-West London was a cleaner and customer relations worker for Eurest. She explains, "I had always made it clear that I wear the stud as part of my Hindu faith. I'm not expecting people to make huge exceptions for me and I could understand if I was wearing a massive stud, but this is a tiny pin."

On Tuesday, the company sent her a dismissal letter. She now has five days to appeal against the decision. Amrit Lalji has approached one of the biggest trade unions -- Britain's General Union -- GMB. Tahir Bhatti of GMB told The Pioneer, "We will first appeal to the company in the next five days, that's the procedure. If they do not take her back then we will go to the Industrial Tribunal."

The Stanmore Swaminarayan temple, where Amrit worships, and the Hindu Council UK have also come out in her support. Bhimji Budia, a trustee of the temple, and Anil Bhanot, managing director of the council, said they would be assisting Amrit in fighting the bias.

Bhanot said, "Her dismissal is unjust under The Equality Act, 2006. This Act has a provision for Religion and Belief. Any discrimination on the basis of religion is illegal." He cited an earlier case where an employee had challenged her suspension at British Airways for wearing a cross. She had won her appeal. This precedence would also help Amrit's case.

According to Budia, the temple would help in fighting the discrimination. They have given a letter to Amrit, quoting Hindu religious scriptures in order to prove that wearing a nose stud is part of Hindu faith.

"My employer told me that wearing a nose stud is not part of the Christian religion so I cannot be allowed," explains Amrit.

Eurest has told the media, "Lalji had been advised of company policy on a number of occasions which states that, with the exception of a plain wedding ring and sleeper earrings, jewellery must not be worn on duty and flesh piercings are not permitted."

The spokesperson added, "Jewellery can harbour bacteria, create a hazard when working with machinery and find its way into food. Her decision not to return to work without the stud contravenes company regulations and she was dismissed."

Hindu Council has responded to this by saying, "If the company concerned allows wedding bands and ear studs, we do not see why Amrit Lalji should not be allowed to wear a small nose stud." The council spokesperson said, "We are second generation Hindus here. Our first generation made many sacrifices, but not any more. We will assert ourselves to a legal point."

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has condemned the sacking of Amrit and called for her to be re-instated. He said that he would be writing to the company to reconsider its decision and reinstate her. Livingstone said, "It is an attack on her right to freely express her religion and an attack on her right as a woman to dress as she wishes."