Morning:
6°c
City bank sued for £3m over comments like ‘your breasts are honkers’
Tim Stewart3 Nov 2009
Two City high-fliers who claim they were hounded out of their jobs by sexist Japanese bosses are suing a leading investment bank for £1.5 million.
Maureen Murphy, 30, alleges that a woman trader at Nomura had her breasts referred to as “honkers” during a meeting.
She also says a male colleague claimed women belonged “at home cleaning the floors”.
Miss Murphy, a senior analyst earning £55,000 a year, and Anna Francis, 37, a director on £250,000 including bonus, had worked in Asian equities sales at Lehman Brothers in Canary Wharf before the bank collapsed in September last year.
The two women moved to Nomura as part of a buyout by the Japanese bank and expected equally prominent roles.
But they claim sexist Japanese bosses withheld work and fired them because they were female and non-Japanese.
Their barrister Michael Duggan told Central London Employment Tribunal: “This organisation is institutionally racist and sexist.”
Each woman is suing Nomura for sex and race discrimination and unfair dismissal. Miss Murphy is also alleging sexual harassment.
They are each seeking £1.5 million compensation for loss of earnings and injury to feelings.
Nomura strenuously denies the allegations. In legal papers submitted to the tribunal Miss Murphy, who lives in Islington and is half American and half German, says she was ridiculed at Nomura because of her accent.
She also alleges that during a business meeting one male client said to her colleague Melissa Holian: “Oh, you don't have your honkers out today I see.”
The legal papers say: “Miss Murphy was initially not sure what he was referring to, but Melissa clarified honkers referred to her breasts.
“She went on to say there was no point in standing up to him as he would smear your reputation in the entire market and that ultimately it was better just to accept it.”
Miss Francis, of Paddington, told the tribunal there was “obvious hostility” from Nomura staff when her Lehmans team moved to the Japanese bank's City offices.
She was ditched because she was “too outspoken and female”, her former boss allegedly told Miss Murphy.
Nomura spokesman Sal Dirschberger said: “Nomura maintains that it acted fairly in the dismissal of Anna Francis and Maureen Murphy by reason of
redundancy as part of a wider reorganisation
following the Lehman Brothers acquisition.
“To suggest they were selected on the basis of their race or sex is wholly unfounded.” The case continues.
