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Indian-origin woman gets compensation

Melbourne: A woman of Indian origin has been awarded $15,000 as compensation after a colleague allegedly mouthed racial slur against her in front of other workers.

Rama Velagapudi approached the New South Wales Equal Opportunity Tribunal last week, alleging that her co-worker mouthed racial slur. She did not hear the comment herself, but claimed she was distressed when she learnt of it from the co-workers, a media report said here on Sunday.

The accused, Leanne Spooner, told the court that she walked into an empty aisle and mouthed the words in extreme frustration at Ms. Rama's inefficiency

The tribunal accepted the victim's version of events, saying a number of people had heard the remark.

It ordered Ms. Rama's employer Symbion Pharmacy Services to pay her $ 5000 compensation, according to Courier Mail.

She received an additional $10,000 because of the company's failure to handle the complaint ``appropriately and reasonably.''

Ms. Rama, who migrated from India to Australia in 1999 and became an Australian citizen two years later, began working full-time as a store person for the company in 2002.

PTI

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