ÂŁ2 an hour priests win pay justice

Sikh priests who were paid only ÂŁ2 an hour and were victimised when they complained have won a stunning victory at an industrial tribunal, last week.

The Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara temple in Normanton, Derby will have to pay compensation for failing to pay the national minimum wage, unfair dismissal and breach of contract.

The four priests worked for over two years at the temple and complained about their low wages. Members of their congregation had told them they should be paid at least the national minimum wage, currently ÂŁ6.50 an hour.

David Jeffery, Unite regional officer in the East Midlands who helped the priests, all Unite members, said, “These four priests working long hours over a period of two years and paid less than a third of the national minimum wage.

Exploitation

“This is sustained exploitation, a major breach of national minimum wage laws, it is not some technical oversight.

“When they raised the issue with the temple authorities two of them were victimised by being suspended and disciplined. These are clear breaches of employment laws which protect you from victimisation when you assert your legal rights.

“Behaviour of this kind by any employer is not acceptable. The tribunal ruled they were unfairly dismissed, their wages were unlawful because they broke minimum wage laws and that their contracts of employment had been broken.

Delighted

“We did everything we could to resolve the issue without having to go to tribunal but could not do so. The priests are delighted they have won.

“Unite’s lawyers have now agreed adequate remedy for these priests. I am delighted that Unite has secured them some justice.”

The Reverend William Sharpe, registrar of the college of healthcare chaplains told UniteLive despite being ‘volunteers’ under their own scriptures, Sikh priests are entitled to the protection of the national minimum wage.

“Granthi – a Sikh priest – should qualify as a worker under the national minimum wage Act although they are deemed to be volunteers by their religious scripture,” he explained.