In Chibogu Eze v Pilgrim’s Pride Limited the Claimant started working for Staffline Recruitment Limited as a temporary worker on 12 September 2018 and was assigned to work in the Sauce and Spice Room.
The staff canteen at the Linton site serves meals to around 200 members of staff at lunch time. There are three canteen staff managed by Ms Rosu. Where mayonnaise is part of the dish being served – for example as a sauce within a burger or sandwich – there is a large tub of mayonnaise which is added to the dish by the servers. Where it is not part of the dish – for example as a condiment to be added to fries – the canteen sells branded sachets for 10p per sachet.
On one occasion, hamburgers were being served for lunch and mayonnaise from the tub was accordingly added to the burger by canteen staff when they were served. Someone in front of the Claimant was served mayonnaise from the tub but the Claimant was offered a sachet instead after the larger tub ran out, meaning he got less than his colleagues, an employment tribunal in Bury St Edmunds heard.
Despite the Hellman’s sachet being ‘higher quality’ than the usual brand from the tub, Mr Eze claimed he was being discriminated against because he is black.
He also complained he had been served less salad than his colleagues and argued with canteen manager Dorina Rosu over the price of a bacon and sausage roll, the tribunal heard.
But all of his claims – including ‘The Mayonnaise Incident’ – were dismissed following the three-day legal process after the panel ruled he had not been discriminated against.
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