LONDON // Mona Awad, a 29-year-old British-born Muslim whose family came from Egypt, has revived the controversy about bigoted behaviour within Britain's financial services establishment. Ms Awad is claiming £16.7 million (Dh92m) in damages from the Halifax Bank of Scotland, otherwise known as HBOS, for sexual, racial and religious discrimination.
At the preliminary hearing this week of an employment tribunal in Nottingham, where Ms Awad worked as a corporate manager for HBOS, her lawyers described a macho culture of lewd jokes and racial and religious bigotry. If the tribunal finds in her favour - and the case will not be heard in full until later this year - it will be a huge blow for the financial services industry which claims to have eradicated the behaviour which led to multimillion-pound compensation payments to women.
But campaigners in Britain say the Awad case shows that the industry remains as prejudiced as ever. They say banks and other financial institutions, especially within the high-rolling city of London, deliberately recruit aggressive, cynical men who are incapable of treating women or ethnic minorities in a civilised manner.
Fawcett, a non-governmental organisation in London which has been campaigning for equal rights for women for more than a century, says that "behind the conspicuous wealth of the city lies a hidden story of discrimination affecting women at all levels".
It claims that sexism in the city - and in the country as a whole - remains rife, and that women earn almost 25 per cent less than men who do similar jobs, a statistic confirmed by the Equal Opportunities Commission, which says the statistic for the city is even worse, with women earning almost half of what men take home.
In 2007, the BBC reported that hundreds of women in New York and London were suing an investment bank for US$1 billion (Dh3.68bn) for sexual discrimination. The BBC also interviewed many women who had worked in London's financial heart, who described how they were routinely treated as sexual objects by male colleagues.
What makes the case of Ms Awad, who is married, even more of a headline grabber, is that she is claiming multiple discrimination: that she was picked on because she was a woman, a Muslim and not white.
Under British employment law she will have to prove each count: that HBOS targeted her because she was female, because she was a Muslim and because her family came from the Middle East. She is not allowed to say that the bank simply discriminated against her as a person.
"It is crazy," said Zohra Moosa, a senior campaigner at Fawcett. "She must show they discriminated against her on three separate counts; as a woman, a Muslim and as a person who was not white. The law should be changed. You cannot split up a person up like this."
In a written statement to the tribunal Ms Awad said she was subjected to "disgusting innuendo". She said she had kept a diary of the abuse meted out by two male managers, both of whom have since left HBOS after an internal inquiry into the affair.
"The repeated acts of harassment destroyed my self-esteem and confidence," she said, adding that she eventually became ill and could not work.
The tribunal will hear about a succession of incidents, such as a manager allegedly accusing her of "sleeping her way to the top". On another occasion, it is claimed the same man asked her if, as a Muslim, she "carried bombs on trains". She said she was also mocked for fasting during Ramadan.
After complaining about what was happening in Nottingham she was transferred to Derby, but the abuse there was as bad, she claimed.
Anti-discrimination campaigners say if she wins, it will show that while Britain has some of the toughest anti-discrimination legislation in the world - it is unlawful to discriminate for racial, religious, sexual and even age reasons - it is still far from being tolerant.
Ms Moosa, of Fawcett, says companies in Britain are still run mostly by white, middle-aged men, who know how they should behave towards women, gays and ethnic minorities, but at heart remain uncomfortable with people who are not like themselves.
"These men rely on the rules to tell them how to act. But they don't always understand why or how they should behave fairly," she says.
Joanne Wade, one of the UK's top employment lawyers, says there has been an increase in discrimination claims because people now understand their rights.
"Employers are more careful now but they often get it wrong," she said. "Many do not have the language to talk across religious and cultural divides."
sfreeman@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Specs%20
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The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
More on animal trafficking
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Stage result
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
6. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirate
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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