Asian officer wins at industrial tribunal
01 January 1991
Asian officer wins at industrial tribunal
artdoc May=1991
Massive press coverage has been given to the case of Surinder Chuna
Singh, who has become the first officer to successfully bring a case
against the police, with the backing of the CRE, before an industrial
tribunal, alleging racial discrimination. Headlines like `Victory for
PC whose colour held him back' (Daily Mail 31.10-90) `Forces of
prejudice' (Guardian 31.10.90) and `The Verdict - Guilty as charged of
racism and sexism and that's only the police' (Today 31.10.90) accompany
major features and editorials on the case. And Channel 4 TV produced a
special reconstruction of the story on the Despatches programme.
Mr. Singh's case had rested on the allegation that he was subjected
to racial abuse and treated unfairly during his service with
Nottinghamshire CID, where he was serving on an aidship scheme to assess
his suitability as a detective. He was then returned to normal duties
and career advancement denied him.
The industrial tribunal hearing - the longest ever held - lasted 82
days, during which 66 witnesses were called. It focused on the low
number of black officers within the CID and the evidence of prejudice
and racist abuse and language amongst officers there. The police's
defence rested on the assertion that although there was prejudice in the
force, there was no discrimination, and witnesses were called to show
that PC Singh failed to progress because of incompetence rather than
discrimination. The tribunal concluded that Mr. Singh and two other
officers had received less favourable treatment on the grounds of his
race. Whilst there was no overt racism in the force `racist language
had permeated all levels and senior officers did little to counteract
it'.
Different papers, though, focus on different aspects of the case.
The Daily Mail counterposes Mr. Singh's case with that of a former race
relations officer who says that he was turned down for a council job
with Ealing Council because he was white and who has taken his case to
an industrial tribunal. Many of the papers focus on Mr. Singh's social
background and personal attributes - the fact that he had a broad
Yorkshire accent, a string of qualifications, and that from childhood
onwards he had dreamt of a police career. The Times blames his lack of
promotion on the `canteen culture' that tolerates racial abuse and goes
on to examine the various measures the police have adopted to accelerate
ethnic recruitment, suggesting that a telephone `hotline' might be set
up so that officers can receive advice or counselling. The Independent
sees the `elitist culture' within Nottinghamshire CID as central to the
case. Editorials in the Sun and the Mail praise PC Singh for staying on
in the police and being `prepared to forgive and forget'. (Mirror
30.10.90; Guardian, Times, Express, Daily Mail and Independent on
31.10.90; Sun and Daily Mail on 1.11.90)
IRR Police-Media Bulletin, no 65. Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke
Street, London WC1X 9HS