OK I don't know if this is true

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10532782/Muslim-staff-at-Marks-and-Spencer-can-refuse-to-sell-alcohol-and-pork.html

However if it is, why not have a non muslim on standby? My local Tesco Lotus has lots of muslim staff. We don't have a problem.

In Sweden there was a case when a company got sued for racism for not getting a job.

The reason was that the person who wanted the job would not meet the boss because she was female.

And can non Muslim staff refuse to sell halal meat ?

Sick and tired of theocratic encroachment upon free society. Whinge bloody whinge.... I can't do this because my imaginary boss told me so, can't do that. It is YOUR personal imaginary friend so perhaps you should speak to him/her and in the meantime get on with your f****** job you are being paid for. You see the same thing with gay marriage. Not satisfied with the right to NOT have to have a gay marriage they want the supposed 'right' that others can not have one. **** *** I say.

And can non Muslim staff refuse to sell halal meat ?

Should be able to, it was quietly introduced into schools some time ago which did not go down well when it was found out.

It's very simple, surely. If a Muslim refuses to sell alcohol or pork, he/she should not take a job which requires them to do so.

If a vegetarian refuses to sell meat, he/she shouldn't work in a butcher's shop.

If a Hindu refuses to sell beef, he/she should not work for MacDonalds!

If your religion asks you to make sacrifices, you should accept that (or change your religion?)

It would seem that that branch did not follow M&S guidelines. However the other chains attitudes are varied.

http://news.uk.msn.com/mands-religious-drinks-rules-apology

A supermarket worker and strict adherent to the teachings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has been criticised after refusing to sell customers any pasta-based products.

Shelf stacker Simon Williams, who works for Morrisons in Bradford, said that handling pasta is against his strict religious beliefs and that no-one should be able to force him to do his job even if it involves something thats all around him all day, every day.

http://newsthump.com/2013/12/23/supermarket-customer-refused-pasta-purchase-by-follower-of-flying-spaghetti-monster/

An indication of just how stupid the whole thing is.

Whilst I agree that if someone does not wish to handle alcohol, pork or even pasta then they should not take a job which requires them to do so, it does need to be pointed out that this M&S policy, and that of other supermarkets which have similar policies, does not apply just to Muslims.

For example, Jews who don't want to handle pork or don't want to work on the Sabbath don't have to.

Also, if someone objects to Halal meat, then they must also object to Kosher.

BTW, I shop regularly in all the major supermarkets, all of whom have Muslim staff on the tills. Never had this problem.

Two clips from today's Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10534294/MandS-apology-over-Muslim-staff-policy.html

Marks and Spencer says shoppers won't be refused alcohol or meat by staff after it claims it failed to follow its own policies in allowing Muslim staff to refuse to do so because of their beliefs

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/graemearcher/100251670/by-introducing-segregation-into-its-stores-ms-has-yielded-to-muslim-extremists/

By introducing segregation into its stores, M&S has yielded to Muslim extremists

The firm was founded as a market stall by a Jew (Marks) and run for decades by his descendants (the Sieff family).

Did they ever have in their staff rules an article allowing Jewish staff to be permitted to refuse to serve customers with pork products, shell-fish, garments which mixed cotton and wool? The answer is NO.

Another example of stupid political correctness interpretations by stupid people and blown out of all proportion by stupid media reports.

Classic Christmas time fable story...obviously newsrooms (of the Telegraph/Mail ilk) short of some copy, so what better than a "muslims changing the world" fable story....

Reaction from the guy from John Lewis speaks volumes (see clip below)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25492217

Grist to the mill to reactionary, elderly readership....nonsense to the more astute, but as ever why let facts get in the way of a handy agenda-ticking fable story...

Note that the Daily Telegraph would not allow comments on either of these articles.

The garbage of political correctness and restrictions on free speech in the UK is already beyond any acceptable level.

The garbage of political correctness and restrictions on free speech in the UK is already beyond any acceptable level.

Indeed. It's a bit like gay marriage in that regard. Not satisfied with not having to have one themselves they object to other people having one too. Forcing you belief on others is wrong in exactly the same way that refusing to do the job you are paid to do for religious reasons is wrong. As a member pointed out earlier, if you don't want to handle meat then don't work at a butchers.

Note that the Daily Telegraph would not allow comments on either of these articles.

The garbage of political correctness and restrictions on free speech in the UK is already beyond any acceptable level.

The 1st link I had was to The Mail Online. Hearing the hoots of derision in my head I looked for another link. So The Telegraph. It was on MSN UK yesterday, they have long stopped allowing comments on "controversial" news items. However yesterday on FB they asked a question, and not 1 of the replies I saw supported the refusal. M&S thrmselves said it was policy to employ people with religious objections in non food and alcohol areas of the stores.

A supermarket worker and strict adherent to the teachings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has been criticised after refusing to sell customers any pasta-based products.

Shelf stacker Simon Williams, who works for Morrisons in Bradford, said that handling pasta is against his strict religious beliefs and that no-one should be able to force him to do his job even if it involves something thats all around him all day, every day.

http://newsthump.com/2013/12/23/supermarket-customer-refused-pasta-purchase-by-follower-of-flying-spaghetti-monster/

An indication of just how stupid the whole thing is.

Reading the comments in that link, An American said they have had catholics refusing to sell birth control products. Stores should just employ athiests and agnostics.

The garbage of political correctness and restrictions on free speech in the UK is already beyond any acceptable level.

Indeed. It's a bit like gay marriage in that regard. Not satisfied with not having to have one themselves they object to other people having one too. Forcing you belief on others is wrong in exactly the same way that refusing to do the job you are paid to do for religious reasons is wrong. As a member pointed out earlier, if you don't want to handle meat then don't work at a butchers.

That is not a real thing and as a gay activist I object to that kind of red flag (and totally FALSE) dirt being thrown at gay people. To suggest that it is a mainstream gay feeling to OBJECT to opposite sex people getting married is simply FALSE. Now it is true a few visible NON-GAY marriage equality supporters have sometimes said in SOLIDARITY to the gay civil rights movement, we won't get married until our gay brothers and sisters have the same right, that is NOT the same thing that you just generally accused GAY people of! Please be careful in throwing obvious lies at an entire section of humanity without cause or evidence. Of course you can always find a few radical views in any group but you just implied this was a general feeling among gay people. You did this. You used the word THEY to generalize about gay people. Again, totally false.

As far as the "issue" of very religious people objecting to handling forbidden foods, I think that's a matter between employers and staff. I don't see anything wrong with employees letting their employers know about their issue and then if they choose the employers can make accommodation IF it is convenient. I don't think it should be legislated though but rather part of a free will agreement (or not). If the boss says I'll try to accommodate this but there may be occasions where you will be required to handle these products due to staff shortages, then the employee can decide to keep the job or not. Sorted.