Danish driver wins case over racial abuse by his British supervisor Sheffield newspaper delivery firm J H and L Proctor has been forced to apologise to a Danish van driver who was subjected to a daily tirade of racist abuse from one of the firm's supervisors, the Commission for Racial Equality announced today. Kim Stevnsborg, who settled in Britain after finding a welcome here when he came to support his national team during the Euro 96 tournament, worked for the company from the end of 1997 and, in the words of the Industrial Tribunal in Sheffield, 'almost from the outset one of the night supervisors consistently and continuously harangued him in a most abusive fashion' with constant reference to the fact that he was Danish. Following the decision of the Tribunal, the company faced further action to secure damages but agreed to settle the case for undisclosed compensation and an apology. But this case is not just about racial abuse. It is also about an employer who turned a blind eye and who tried to pretend that the racial abuse did not happen, rather than accept that there was a serious problem and take steps to put it right.
Employers have a responsibility to prevent racial discrimination in the workplace.
Those of us who work for better race relations in Britain are often accused of indulging in just a one way traffic. This is not, and never has been, the case. Notes Mr Kim Stevnsborg visited Sheffield during the Euro 96 football tournament, fell in love with the town and its people and decided to return. He started work for J H and L Proctor in April 1997. The company delivers newspapers to newsagents in South Yorkshire and has a number of other delivery and driving activities.