Christian worker 'forced to resign' over Sunday working

A children's worker who was forced to resign over her desire not to work on Sundays has taken her case to an Employment Tribunal this week.

Celestina Mba worked for over three years at the Brightwell Children's Home in Morden, a respite home for children with disabilities, but says she was forced to resign in 2010 after her employer, the London Borough of Merton, decided to no longer accommodate her Christian beliefs.

She said that although she informed her employer before she started the job that she would have difficulties working on a Sunday, the Council later changed its mind and she was forced to choose between her job or her faith.

Mba said that she would have worked nights and Saturdays or would have accepted less pay, but despite her offers no compromise was accepted.

Ms Mba’s claim for constructive dismissal on the grounds on religious discrimination is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, which has instructed human rights barrister, Paul Diamond, to take on the case.

Andrea Williams, Director of the Christian Legal Centre, said:

"This is another case where we see intolerance towards the Christian faith and a lack of willingness to make accommodation for it.

"Celestina was a hard working employee who wished to observe Sunday. Her employers knew about this and agreed to it from the outset, yet later changed their minds. They forced her to choose between her job and her work.

"Surely it is possible to devise a rota system that respects and accommodates the Christian belief of employees especially where such a rota had worked successfully in the past.

“A public body like the London Borough of Merton should set the highest standards and not behave like this.”