What is novel about this case is that for the first time an employee in the UK is claiming to have been dismissed because of his vegan convictions. Previous claims by vegans have concerned specific beliefs, rather than the vegan philosophy itself.
ELIZABETH SULIS KIM: ‘Jordi Casamitjana was sacked from The League Against Cruel Sports, after his disclosure that the company has invested pension funds in firms involving animal testing. As an ethical vegan, he said he was discriminated against on account of his veganism. The charity denied the validity of this claim, saying he was fired for gross misconduct. In March 2019, this issue is being raised in an employment tribunal, which may proceed to a full trial. The hearing will determine whether ethical veganism is a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010… Veganism is principally a philosophical ideology before being followed through in diet and lifestyle.
Vegans already have rights that are recognised by the European Court of Human Rights and the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission… Barbara Bolton, a lawyer specialising in vegan law, co-founder of advocacy group Go Vegan Scotland, says “What is novel about this case is that for the first time an employee in the UK is claiming to have been dismissed because of his vegan convictions. Previous claims by vegans have concerned specific beliefs, such as anti-fox-hunting beliefs, rather than the vegan philosophy itself. In my view, there is little doubt that veganism is already protected under human rights and equality law, but it will be helpful to have this directly confirmed by a UK tribunal”…
Who knows, maybe this could be a turning point for vegans. If it goes the right way, this ruling could lead to greater recognition for veganism, and confirm that the decision to become a vegan is taken seriously both in employment and in everyday life. It’s hard to be a perfect ethical vegan, as a lot of the medical treatments and objects we use regularly are unfortunately tested on animals, or somehow incorporate animal-derived ingredients. But given the rise in veganism, we need to see serious efforts to accommodate those of us who are against all forms of animal exploitation’. SOURCE…
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