The LNER said it acted after a complaint was made by the group UK Lawyers for Israel that a Palestinian badge had made a passenger feel uncomfortable.<\/b><\/p>\n
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A British railway company has banned its employees from wearing pro-Palestinian badges while on duty after a pro-Israel legal group complained about an employee wearing a \u201ePalestinian Solidarity\u201d badge.<\/p>\n
Last month, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) sent a legal letter to the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) after a passenger complained that he felt \u201euncomfortable and unwelcome\u201d during his journey because of a staff member wearing a pro-Palestinian badge.<\/p>\n
According to the UKLFI, the incident occurred on June 14 on an LNER train from Edinburgh to London. The organization said the Jewish passenger reported that a member of the catering staff was wearing an official badge made by the RMT union and sold to its members, which read \u201ePalestinian Solidarity\u201d alongside a Palestinian flag and the logo of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).<\/p>\n
In its complaint, UKLFI argued that political symbols worn by customer service staff could create an \u201eintimidating, hostile or offensive environment\u201d for Jewish, Israeli and Zionist passengers. They also cited the Equality Act 2010, arguing that service providers have a duty to protect customers from harassment based on protected characteristics.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the LNER told Middle East Eye that the company \u201ehas a uniform policy that all on-board colleagues must adhere to.\u201d The spokesperson added: \u201eThe uniform policy states that colleagues may only wear one badge on their lapel when on duty. These must be either LNER-issued, an LNER campaign badge, or the standard logo of their union.\u201d<\/p>\n
UKLFI did not respond to MEE's request for comment.<\/p>\n
In response to the complaint, LNER chief executive David Horne said the company had taken \u201eappropriate steps\u201d and confirmed that employees were not allowed to wear unauthorised badges while representing the company. \u201eLNER takes the concerns raised seriously,\u201d Horne wrote to UKLFI. He added that the employee concerned had been spoken to by a manager on June 17 and reminded of the policy. The company has sent out a letter to all employees advising them not to wear unauthorised badges while on duty.<\/p>\n
Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, welcomed the move and said she was pleased that \u201ethe LNER responded quickly and decisively.\u201d \u201ePublic transport operators serve passengers from all communities. Jewish passengers should be able to travel without being confronted with political messages from staff,\u201d Turner said.<\/p>\n
The RMT, one of the main unions supporting the protests against Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza and a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, declined to comment. However, the union has issued several statements condemning Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza and has actively encouraged its members to campaign in support of the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n
The LNER decision is part of a wider debate in the UK workplace over expressions of solidarity with the Palestinians. Activists have raised concerns about employers restricting displays of support for Palestine, while some organisations argue that political messages should not be displayed in customer-facing roles.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) supported a review into antisemitism and racism in the NHS by government adviser Lord John Mann. The report recommended mandatory antisemitism training for 1.5 million NHS workers, a ban on them wearing political symbols \u2013 including Palestinian badges \u2013 at work and a ban on them wearing uniforms to protest.<\/p>\n
Since the outbreak of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, there have been several cases of healthcare workers being reprimanded for expressing their support, including a British-Palestinian nurse who was ordered to remove a watermelon image from the background of her video calls because some might consider it anti-Semitic.<\/p>\n