Heather McCracken –
A liquor store worker who was threatened, assaulted, called a “f***ing Indian” and “Indian dog” by his employer has been awarded $45,000 in damages for racial harassment.
Satnam Singh told the Human Rights Tribunal he suffered racial abuse, culminating in a physical assault, while employed for two months at Scorpion Liquor in Mt Roskill.
An Indian national and practising Sikh, Satnam Singh was also paid less than minimum wage, earning between $6 and $7 an hour.
Store manager Shane Singh and his mother, Raj Devi, who owns the business, did not respond to the claim and took no part in proceedings.
Satnam Singh took the part-time job in January 2012 after coming here on a student visa.
During his two months at Scorpion Liquor, Shane Singh frequently made references to “f***ing Indians”, and referred to Indian students as “Indian dogs”.
He also made comments about Satnam Singh’s long hair, a requirement for his Sikh religion.
On one occasion the worker was filmed while cleaning the shop toilet, and told “You f***ing Indians [will] always clean my s*** today and in the future”.
The abuse culminated on March 6, 2012, when Shane Singh hit the student on the head with a clipboard, knocking off his turban and a cap he wore on top.
He then told Satnam Singh: “If I see you again you’ll lose your turban and your teeth.” Satnam Singh did not return to the store after the incident.
The tribunal found Satnam Singh had suffered hurtful and offensive racial harassment. The defendants were ordered to pay $45,000 in damages – $10,000 more than was sought – for humiliation and loss of dignity. They were also ordered to pay $3750 in legal costs.
In a separate decision, Scorpion Liquor was ordered to pay wage arrears of $3417.12 plus interest at 5 per cent and a penalty of $1000.
-NZME
The above report, which appeared in the New Zealand Herald on March 10, 2015, has been reproduced here with the permission of the publication.
