Asian postman gets £30k Royal Mail race discrimination payout

An Asian postman has won a £30,000 race discrimination payout from Royal Mail after a colleague sent him a letter containing racial slurs – including describing him as a ‘p**i b*****d’ as a ‘terrorist’.

Rizwan Shah, 34, also claimed to bosses that he was assaulted during a race-related back-office bust-up with another colleague.

But Mr Shah, who has worked for Royal Mail at its Watford Delivery Office since 2004, claimed his manager failed to investigate the claims properly.

Lawyers for Mr Shah said Royal Mail chiefs should have reviewed CCTV and that the colleague involved in the tussle with their client should have been suspended while an investigation took place.

Mr Shah claimed to an employment tribunal that the reason the claims were not investigated properly was due to racial discrimination.

And a tribunal, lead by Employment Judge McNeill QC, has now ruled in his favour. 

The tribunal heard how Mr Shah received a letter, classed by police as a hate crime, in February 2019 from an employee at the Watford Delivery Office.

In the letter, it refered to Mr Shah as a ‘f*****g p**i b******d’ and telling him to ‘f**k off back where he come [sic] from.’

The letter went on to refer to Mr Shah as a ‘f*****g terrorist’ and threatened to ‘smash him up.’ 

Mr Shah’s Counsel, Theodora Hand of St Philips Chambers, submitted that Royal Mail took no action regarding the racist letter and offered Mr Shah no support, and that this constituted both direct discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race.

It was also determined by the Tribunal that Mr Shah had been subjected to acts of race discrimination by his manager, Matthew James, including failing to take sufficient action in the investigation of a complaint of assault by Mr Shah.

Mr Shah was awarded over £30,000 in injury to feelings and interest.

Speaking after the judgment, he said: ‘This was never about compensation; it was about getting recognition for the way I have been treated.

‘I am very pleased that the Tribunal sided with me and hope that this judgment will help ensure others are not treated the way I was, in any of my employer’s offices’

Mr Luca Liberti of Clements Solicitors, instructed by Mr Shah, said: ‘Many incidents of blatant racism in the workplace go unchallenged.

Mr Shah was instructed by Luca Liberti of Clements Solicitors. He was represented by Theodora Hand of St Philips Chambers

‘Mr Shah had the courage and determination to make a stand and it has been recognised by the Employment Tribunal that he was discriminated against.  

‘Views as expressed in the letter are quite simply disgusting and have no place in society.’

Theodora Hand of St Philips Chambers, Counsel for Mr Shah said: ‘This is a case involving a most heinous, shocking act of racism which has no place in this country and should have no place with any employer, however there were clear failings by the Respondent in their dealings of both this and a previous complaint of racism.

‘The judgment by Employment Judge McNeill QC was thorough and the large sum of compensation awarded adequately reflects the distress which Mr Shah felt both as a result of the respondent’s failure to take any action or provide him with any support, and in respect of acts of race discrimination by a manager under which he continues to work.’

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: ‘Royal Mail has a zero tolerance approach to any form of abuse, including racism.

‘We await the written judgment which we will carefully review.’