The Equality Rights Group has reacted “with dismay” to information that a Moroccan national (who has been working in the MoD’s MT Garage for the past 20 years as a Panel Beater) is now being notified he “does not reach the required standard” to carry out his job under new rules which, the ERG says, have never applied for at least the past two decades but which have now been introduced.

A statement continued: “The shoddy rationale given by the Ministry of Defence’s Management is that the gentleman must now, after all this time, be proficient in written English. The upshot is that he faces having his post ‘disestablished’ as of April this year, and he may not transfer to the new projected MT organisation.

“After 20 years, during which time there can be little doubt that the gentleman’s professional competence to carry out his work could not have been substantially affected by whatever level of English proficiency the activity of panel beating may actually require, the novel demand on this worker can neither be proportionate nor reasonable. In our opinion, this may constitute indirect discrimination wherein the MoD’s practices, policies or procedures, may in effect, unfairly disadvantage people based on an arbitrary level of skill requirements with little if any demonstrable application to the specifics of the individual’s employment or employment record.

“The Employer here should demonstrate that there is an objective justification for taking this stand on this particular gentleman’s case. The fact that he has been in post for, we understand, at least two decades clearly shows, in our consideration, that the language proficiency level now suddenly being demanded to be both arbitrary and discriminatory, and ERG seeks rectification of this notification.

“The MoD seems lately to be showing signs of inexpert management on various fronts. This is regrettable given that it has, in many ways, led the field on equality on many counts in the past. We are astounded to find, however, the recent spate of issues arising within MoD Gibraltar which are causing the community to question this assumption.”

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