'City executive forced out by Paki slur'

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A sikh executive with City investment house Deutsche Bank was forced out of his £100,000-ayear job by alleged racial slurs from senior managers, a tribunal heard today.

Futures clearing manager Gurinder Grewal, 29, had complained that derogatory remarks were made during a company dinner at Terence Conran's Terminus restaurant, at which there was heavy drinking.

He alleged one manager said: "We should not employ Pakis".

Mr Grewal, a Punjabi and one of three staff members of ethnic minority origin in a department of 110, told the tribunal of his "upset and shock" when the comments were relayed to him by a friend.

He told the hearing at Woburn Place: "A senior manager had made comments about my ethnic origin during a dinner. Paul Lewis [head of global exchange] said, 'He's a Paki - why do we employ them?' We should not." The comments were then allegedly reiterated by Mr Lewis's deputy, Gary Anderson.

Mr Grewal said: "My reaction on hearing of these comments was one of upset. Having worked in the City for so long it was always a fear of mine that this sort of thing would happen."

Mr Grewal asked company human resources manager Shona Crane to take informal action, but received no evidence the managers had been sanctioned.

By 30 April Mr Grewal had become fearful of their response and rang Ms Crane to say he would not go to work that day. He was told he was in breach of his contract. Ms Crane later claimed Mr Grewal had resigned during this conversation. On 3 May she gave him a printed letter of resignation and asked him to sign it. Despite his protest, two weeks later he received a letter thanking him for his resignation.

Mr Grewal claims unfair dismissal. The hearing continues.

 

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