| Username |
Post |
| mickthesick |
Posted
on 09-Oct-03 08:49 AM
Gurkhas lose equal pay appeal
KOL Report
KATHMANDU, Oct 9 - Nepali Gurkhas, who have served the British armed forces for the past 200 years, have lost the long battle for pay equality with their British services counterparts.
Londons Appeal Court refused to overturn a High Court ruling dismissing claims by the Gurkhas that as they had risked their lives for Britain, they should receive the same rewards as British soldiers, reported the Reuters news agency.
The court dismissed an appeal in a test case by seven Gurkhas brought on the basis of their lower pensions, reduced pay when they go home on leave and fewer rights to have their families with them on postings.
The group had argued, among other things, that a Gurkha who retired after a maximum of 17 years service received a pension of just 91 pounds a month compared with the 623 pounds a month their British counterpart would receive after 22 years service.
The Gurkhas claimed that large differences in pension entitlements and pay during leave and restrictions on family breached human rights laws and the Race Relations Act.
Justice Simon Brown paid tribute to the Gurkhas valor but added, I simply cannot recognize the two groups as being in an analogous or relevantly similar situation , reported the Reuters further. (bg)
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| mickthesick |
Posted
on 09-Oct-03 08:52 AM
found a better one and i have got it from bbc.co.uk
/here it goes::
GURKHAS LOSE EQUAL PAY APPEAL
Gurkhas claimed they should be paid the same as British soldiers
Seven former Gurkhas have lost an appeal in their discrimination case against the British Army.
The Gurkhas claimed that large differences in pensions and pay during leave and restrictions on having their wives and family with them breached human rights laws and the Race Relations Act.
Nicholas Blake QC, for the Gurkhas, told the Court of Appeal in London: "These men put their lives at risk for the Crown for a considerable number of years.
"Once you are facing the same risks, you must receive the same rewards."
But Lords Justices Simon Brown, Chadwick and Rix, ruled the Ministry of Defence had not treated them unlawfully.
When Britain left Hong Kong in 1997, the traditional base for the Brigade of Gurkhas was moved to Britain and their pay was increased to match that of British soldiers.
We will not give up the fight until we have ended this discrimination against Gurkhas
Padam Bahadur Gurung
Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation
Who are the Gurkhas?
But during leave periods in Nepal, Gurkhas are paid the equivalent of 5% of their salary.
Gurkhas retire after a maximum of 17 years of service with a pension of £91 a month. British privates serve 22 years for a pension which is £623 a month.
The seven Gurkhas failed in their test case against the MoD at the High Court earlier this year.
On Thursday, the judges at the Court of Appeal backed up that ruling, saying the Gurkhas were not in the same position as British soldiers and therefore could be paid less.
However, the judges disapproved that Gurkhas were only allowed their families with them for three years.
The MoD announced a review in June and Lord Justice Simon Brown expressed the hope that the outcome would improve the lot of married Gurkhas.
Fight continues
Lawyers for the Gurkhas said that the case would not be pursued to the House of Lords.
Solicitor Phil Shiner said: "We have achieved a considerable success on accompanied service policy, with the MoD being forced to carry out a full review.
"This issue causes considerable distress to Gurkhas and their families and we are very pleased to know that the policy is to be changed."
The solicitors plan further action on the pension issue.
Padam Bahadur Gurung, president of the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation, said: "We are pleased to achieve a result on the accompanied service rules but disappointed on pay and pensions.
"However, we believe that in the end justice will prevail and Gurkhas must be treated equally with British soldiers.
"We will not give up the fight until we have ended this discrimination against Gurkhas."
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| dautari |
Posted
on 09-Oct-03 04:33 PM
Tyo ta hunu nai thiyo ni. Bekaarma UK risayera London transit ko lagi pani VISA chahine banaidiyo ulto.
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| phateko_kattu |
Posted
on 09-Oct-03 09:01 PM
Dautari ji
I dont think the gurkhas case has anything to do with the immigration policies of UK towards nepalese .
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| dautari |
Posted
on 10-Oct-03 07:26 AM
P.K. ji, apparently it had nothing to do with it but it could not be a mere coincidence that the VISA regulations were changed for Nepalese travelers following the lawsuit. As "Rituraj" put it in his column Ritubichar in Himal khabarpatrika, how can a guy from Nepal or any other country "escape" into London from the high-security Heathrow / Gatwick Airport Transit? But I have never been there myself. So maybe, they can. But methinks, that was not possible, and I agree with Rituraj when he said that it was a "reward" for our lahure daajubhai's generous lawsuit against the British govt. After all, the British are not "begging" the gurkhas to remain in their Army.
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| phateko_kattu |
Posted
on 11-Oct-03 08:44 PM
Dautari ji ,
The timing of Gurkhas Lawsuit and Immigration policy of Uk is nothing but just an coincidence .You might be true when you say that British are not begging for gurkhas to remain in the Army .If thats the case then they can also tell all the remaining gurkhas to go home ,cant they ?Even the ethnic nepalese who hold british people are being denied entry in to Britian because simply because they cant speak english .Nepalese people need visa even for transit not only in UK these days .....Hong kong ,Singapore etc .
When will we realise that we nepalese are the poorest and least wanted people around the globe ? LOL
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 12-Oct-03 12:59 AM
The idea of sending our brave men to UK army is a shame. Especially when we know that they are going to be descriminated against.
People say it is because our men go there willfully. OK, I allow that. But our men also come to USA willfully. Why aren't our men in McDonald's paid three dollars an hour? It is because blatant descrimination in paying wage is discouraged everywhere in civilized world. Britain is yet to be civilized.It is so horrible to find UK court sanctioning what the government is doing.
We fought in Africa in second world war: general Montgomery took all the glory and our men ended up with lousy crosses/decorations and amputated body parts. We fought against Japanese, we fought against Germans, we fought against Italians on these Britons' behalf. During those times, we were ruled by autocrats, and whatever they brought home amounted to a fortune for our nation. Now, there are only a few thousands men in UK army. Their remittance is only a small fraction of total earnings sent by Nepalese abroad. Hardly a few hundred people are provided that 'opportunity' to join UK army every year, so it is not providing any relief to our unemployment situation. So, why should we continue this shameful practice?
Two years ago, our bureaucrats figured out that begging with China for a few bhedaa/chyaangra during Dashain period each year was not a glorious tradition, but a shame that was also unviable economically. Finally, the tradition was terminated.
There was another tradition with Tibet: they used to pay us annuity of 10,000 gold coins each year but Chinese figured out quickly that that was a tradition that shamed them. So they terminated it as soon as Deng Xiaoping's dudes subdued whatever Tibetan resistance was there in the high plateau in the 60s.
Our country is poor, but more than that, we are often humiliated. And we will be humiliated as long as this practice of sending our men to UK army goes on. We will be clarifying to people all around the world why our men go to the frontiers of every war of modern days on behalf of increasingly truculent Britons. There is no pride in being associated with Britons these days.
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| paad ka |
Posted
on 12-Oct-03 03:47 AM
Big deal, so they dont get paid as much as a crumpet-eater for fighting in British army....Boo-Hoo....Wait, I thought of a great idea!!! How bout these Gorkdorks stop fighting for a bunch of crumpet-eating cracker honkies and fight for their native land???.......If someone is constantly degrading and humiliating you with their actions you have a couple of choices....1. beat their asses or 2. avoid them .....So these Gorkdorks need to fight or stay away from Britain and shut the hell up
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| Nasakine bho ba |
Posted
on 12-Oct-03 04:28 AM
Do you think guys this discrimination and optionless bothers to those in the front. It is the ones who have retired and have nothing to do who are the wistle blower. Of course every government will start to rethink their policy when their ranks and files start acusing them of discrimination.
Our impatientcy and lack of diplomatic approach is souring the relationship that has benifited atleast some of our fellow countrymen from relatively poorer sections. If now our PC oriented lifestyle deems it humilating, then think something for those in other countries. Let uis ask for the whole shoulder when they are providing the wrist, because before that we have to create our appetite to digest the scapula.
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| Nasakine bho ba |
Posted
on 12-Oct-03 04:30 AM
sorry bros it should read "let us not ask for the whole shoulder when the fingers or in this case wrist is provided"
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