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September 28, 2006

UK: Muslim Workers Complain That Ramadan Rituals Are Not Encouraged

Muslim workers at a Littlewoods warehouse are complaining that their employers are not changing work schedules to accommodate their Ramadan restrictions. The Oldham Advertiser writes that staff at the distribution center on Beal Lane in Shaw have contacted them to seek publicity for their "grievance".

The workers are whining that 100 Muslims employed at the warehouse, which distributes to Littlewoods stores, are prevented from carrying out their rituals. During Ramadan Muslims cannot eat from sunrise to sundown, and the workers complain that their ritual breaking of the daily fast, called "iftar" does not coincide with the usual tea breaks, which start at 6 pm when it is still light.

The Muslims had asked for their tea break to be shifted to 6.30 pm for two weeks. This affects employees on the late shift, who work from 2 pm to 10 pm.

An anonymous Muslim worker, who has been employed for a year at Littlewoods, said: "They are asking people to work through iftar and won't allow us to have a break at that time. Iftar at the moment is just after 7pm. We showed them the timetables and asked if we could move our break by half an hour to incorporate iftar into the last part of the break. People are eating in the aisles and hiding from management. This is my religion and it makes me upset that people are having to hide and eat when all we are asking for is 10-minutes leniency. They were OK with it last year."

The management have already given the Muslims a prayer area, but that is not acceptable, as music which is played through the warehouse can still be heard. Additionally, Muslims are not allowed to perform the full "wudu" or ritual washing.

The anonymous worker said: "We have tried explaining but they don't listen. I think they don't understand and don't want to understand. The union has been trying and people keep saying it is to do with business needs - management have given a briefing saying they are not obliged to do anything."

A spokesman for Littlewoods management said: "We are currently working with our colleagues to agree an approach regarding the religious festival and the requirement for colleagues to break their fast. We have tried to come to an arrangement that both manages our requirements and provides for our colleagues. Currently people can have food and drink at their work stations. We are trying to work with colleagues to find the best way forward."

This case illustrates the problems with hiring religious fanatics. Other religions, such as Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, usually have individual festival days at occasional points in the calendar, which can usually be accommodated. If every year, one entire month is affected and Muslims expect "special rights" for four weeks out of 52, employers who take on "devout" Muslims will be opening themselves up to excessive and unprofessional demands.

Or in the case of Littlewoods in Lancashire, they run the risk of having employers anonymously writing to newspapers to negatively portray them as "Islamophobes".

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at September 28, 2006 8:17 AM

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Posted by: Sir Henry Morgan at September 28, 2006 10:36 AM

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