Local BA Worker Fights for right to wear cross

10.22.51am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 17th Oct 2006

Strawberry Hill resident, Nadia Eweida, is proposing to take BA to court after facing disciplinary hearings over her refusal to conceal or remove a Christian cross as part of her necklace. She has been strongly supported by MP Vincent Cable and her trades union the TGWU whose airport representative, Keith Warren, is a Whitton councillor..

Vincent Cable has had a sharp exchange of correspondence with BA chief executive Mr Walsh who rejected Vincent Cable's criticisms of management incompetence and is defending the disciplinary procedure.

Vincent Cable said: "when there is so much sensitivity over religious identity it beggars belief that BA can make exemptions form its dress code for some religions and then refuse Ms Eweida permission to wear a simple, small cross around her neck as a sign of her faith".

"She sought permission as BA procedure requires but management treated the rules rigidly, and with a complete lack of imagination. As a result Ms Eweida was put in the impossible position of choosing between her faith and her job. She has her union and her workmates behind her. But senior management have dug in their heels".

"I sincerely hope that for the sake of the corporate reputation BA can deal fairly and quickly with this issue so that committed Christians do not feel that they are being treated less sympathetically than people from other religions".