A British Indian Network Rail employee has successfully won a significant race harassment case after enduring a campaign of workplace intimidation, which included colleagues leaving an anti-Islam English Defence League (EDL) leaflet in his personal locker. Parmjit Bassi, who is not a Muslim, was subjected to racist behaviour that culminated in a tribunal ruling in his favour, with compensation now forthcoming.
EDL Leaflet Incident and Managerial Failures
Mr Bassi, who had worked for Network Rail since 1999 as a track worker based at the Eastleigh depot in Hampshire, discovered the far-right EDL leaflet in his boots inside his locker in November 2018. The leaflet provocatively asked 'what individuals were doing to protect their children from Islam'. Although Mr Bassi does not follow Islam, the Southampton Employment Tribunal determined that this act was a deliberate attempt to degrade him based on his race, with no distinction made between his identity and Muslims.
Upon reporting the incident to his manager, Mr Bassi was told that no action would be taken as identifying the culprit was deemed impossible. However, the tribunal strongly criticised Network Rail's handling of the situation, describing their 'laissez-faire attitude as very hard to comprehend'. The manager later admitted that more should have been done retrospectively.
Escalation to Knife Attack Allegations
The harassment intensified shortly after Mr Bassi returned from annual leave in January 2019. Two copies of a national newspaper with the headline 'Knifed Nine Times' were found in the office, one accompanied by a knife in a kitchen drawer and the other placed in Mr Bassi's boot. A handwritten note in marker pen stated 'It was Parm', falsely implicating him in a high-profile stabbing.
Mr Bassi expressed feeling 'shocked and saddened' by this targeted bullying, and the tribunal affirmed that his sense of being unwelcome was 'entirely understandable and correct'. Despite being moved between departments, he struggled in his role and was eventually dismissed in April 2021.
Tribunal Findings and Legal Outcome
Judge Gary Self presided over the case, where Mr Bassi brought multiple claims against Network Rail. The tribunal upheld allegations of racial harassment and unfair dismissal, concluding that the company's inaction constituted 'weak management' that emboldened the bullies. Judge Self noted that when Mr Bassi reported racist behaviour, no further action was taken due to an inability to identify perpetrators, which disadvantaged him based on his race.
The tribunal explicitly stated that the EDL leaflet and subsequent incidents were 'clear slights' against Mr Bassi's race, with the leaflet purveyor lumping him together with a perceived dangerous 'other'. This was ruled as a definitive act of racial harassment and intimidation.
Mr Bassi's appeal against his dismissal was upheld, securing his legal victory and paving the way for compensation. This case highlights systemic issues in workplace discrimination and the critical need for robust managerial responses to such incidents.
