Settlement to avoid tribunal
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by David Craik II Parcels firm Nightfreight (Herts) has paid one of its drivers £2,000 to settle a claim for racial discrimination he was due to bring to an industrial tribunal.
Gerald Ephgrave says he walked away from his driving job at the Welwyn Garden City depot after suffering racial abuse from some driver colleagues.
Ephgrave who says he is British but "dark skinned and able to pass as a Pakistani", says the abuse included taunts of "Paki" and the spraying of the word "Gupta" on his lorry. He walked out but was persuaded by Nightfreight management to return to the firm. Ephgrave did not last long at the depot as, he says, renewed racial taunts from the same drivers led him to walk out again and he did not return. He took his case of racial discrimination to a tribunal.
Anton Gibbs, company secretary at Nightfreight (Herts), said in a written statement: "In order to avoid the costs of litigation Nightfreight (Herts) paid Gerald Ephgrave the sum of £2,000 in respect of his claim of race discrimination. The payment was made without an admission of liability."
Ephgrave says he is disappointed that the depot at Welwyn Garden City did not do more to prevent the racial harassment continuing.
This claim is denied by Gibbs. He says that the complaints were taken seriously and "the case was thoroughly investigated".
As to what action was taken against the drivers allegedly involved in the taunts, Gibbs only says: "Appropriate action was taken."