Hindu airport worker sacked from BAs VIP lounge for wearing nose stud

A Hindu lady has been sacked from her job at the British Airways VIP lounge for wearing a tiny nose stud.

London, Sept 18 : A Hindu lady has been sacked from her job at the British Airways' VIP lounge for wearing a tiny nose stud.

Amrit Lalji, 43, from Stanmore, North-West London, was a cleaner and customer relations worker for Eurest, which supplies food and services to BA's VIP lounge at Heathrow.

Part of her job involved greeting first-class passengers at the lounge.

She had worn the stud without any complaints from customers since she started work in March last year.

But last month her bosses at Eurest told her that a BA manager had ordered her to remove it or lose her job.

Mrs. Lalji a mother of three, refused to remove the stud saying it was integral to her religious beliefs.

But her bosses were unrelenting and fired her last week after a disciplinary hearing.

A Eurest spokesman said: "Mrs 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.

"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," the spokesman said.

Mrs Lalji said she was devastated by the decision.

"I am extremely upset by this and feel that I am being discriminated against. I had always made it clear that I wear it 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. It was so small it was almost impossible to see," she said.

"I was completely happy to wear all the uniform. I'm just asking for a little bit of tolerance and common sense over me wearing a nose stud," she added.

Incidentally, the case follows the suspension of Heathrow worker Nadia Eweida for wearing a tiny crucifix while on duty.

The Hindu Council of UK has, as expected, strongly protested against the move.

A spokesman for the Council said: "It is as integral a part of the Hindu wedding ceremony as the giving of a wedding ring is within a Christian marriage. These marks are not just the outward symbol of marriage - traditionally they are believed to help ensure the match is harmonious".

"If the company concerned allows wedding bands, we don't see why she can't wear a tiny nose stud," the Daily Mail quoted the spokesman as saying.

Mrs Lalji said she has worn a stud for 25 years since her marriage to Devji, a 47-year-old carpenter.

She is now appealing against the decision and hoping to win back her 280 pounds-a-week job, without which it would be difficult for her and her husband to support their three children.

"I don't know what's going to happen. It's a very anxious time for me and my family," she said.

ANI