Justice for Zara
On Saturday 23 April between 10am and 1pm supporters of Zara Senkan leafleted customers of The Original Tour, boarding at Victoria Bus Station. They highlighted a serious issue of sex discrimination and victimisation at the company.
Zara worked for the company for five years until the end of 2010 when she was sacked. During that time she was on the receiving end of bullying, sexism and unfair treatment by managers and co-workers. Zara was sacked shortly after she submitted a grievance to the company about some of these issues.
Zara started working for The Original Tour as a driver. In 2006, when she also began working as a controller, her problems began.
Over a four year period she was subjected to systematic sexist bullying by her co-workers and manger
She was told her job was “not for women” and was subject to many other sexist remarks.
She received unreasonable and personal criticism of her work on a daily basis.
She was blamed for things that went wrong on the job that had nothing to do with her.
She was systematically isolated in the workplace especially by the managers who wanted to “divide and rule” — they fabricated stories about Zara, her work and her behaviour.
Zara’s grievances were summarily dismissed by managers.
She was discriminated against over work allocation and over her right to be represented by a union.
Zara’s personal sickness record and her need to be both breadwinner and carer for sick relatives was used against her.
Supported by her union, the RMT, Zara is pursuing a case for sex discrimination through an employment tribunal.
All Zara wants is to set the record straight and prove that Original Tour was guilty of condoning and worse, perpetrating, clear sexist and unfair treatment that should have no place in any company. It is especially shocking that these bullying working practices took place at such long-standing, large company that claims to be “family friendly”.
Zara sums it up:
“They wanted me to have a nervous breakdown and leave the job, but they couldn’t break me so they sacked me”.