An Asda worker has lost his job for sharing an ‘anti-Islamic’ Billy Connolly video.
He says he was grassed up by a colleague, from head office, who found the joke offensive. ‘I was then pulled into a meeting a couple of weeks later’, Leach told Examiner Live. ‘I was summarily dismissed without notice following a disciplinary meeting for breaching the company’s social-media policy.’ In the offending clip, says the Mirror, Connolly takes aim at Christianity, Islam and calls suicide bombers ‘f****** idiots’. Here’s a bit of the skit:
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I hope Brian Leach takes this case to an Employment Tribunal. Sharing satirical comedy on social media should never be a disciplinary offence and there is no right to be "offended".
ReplyDeleteThe video is really funny
ReplyDeleteIt really is!
ReplyDeleteThe title is misleading Mr Leach was not sacked for blasphemy but for freedom of expression(or thought) as is his human right to exercise.
ReplyDeleteIf we attribute Billy Connolly's satire as the message Mr Leach wanted to convey then he, like Connolly, are being equally critical of both christianity and islam.
Mr Leach was under no obligation to appollogize to anyone but went over an above what was reasonable of him to do... he's got solid case for unfair dismissal on grounds of his freedom of thought. Section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986 protects Mr Leach (and Billy Connolly) for freedom of expression:
"Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of its adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system."
Facebook is a funny creature, if his page was open/public then it can be construed as broadcasting (and liable to offend) if it is a private page then readers are there by invitation only. Now for some outrageous Jamaican jokes.
ReplyDelete