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• Church of England urged ‘to smell the coffee’ over employment rights, following landmark ruling in Cornwall
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Church of England urged ‘to smell the coffee’ over employment rights, following landmark ruling in Cornwall

22 March 2011

The Church of England should wake up and smell the coffee over its ‘medieval attitude’ to employment rights, Unite, the largest union in the country, said today (Tuesday 22 March).

Unite said that a landmark ruling, allowing a female Methodist minister to bring a case for unfair dismissal, should be a warning shot across the bows of the Church of England and other religious faiths that don’t recognise current employment legislation. 

Unite, which has 2,500 faith worker members, said the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) ruling that Redruth minister Haley Moore was an employee under the Employment Rights Act was ‘a significant step forward’.

Ms Moore can now take action against her former employer, the president of the Methodist Conference.

Unite national officer Rachael Maskell said: ”This case exposes the medieval attitude to employment law adopted by the hierarchies of various denominations in this country. They need to wake up and smell the coffee. The steps that Ms Moore has taken have really opened the door for all ministers of religion.

”This is an EAT decision, so it is legally binding. It is time that the church stops resisting its ministers having employment rights, and wasting congregations’ money on legal cases.

”Church authorities should get on with implementing good employment practices which treat ministers of religion with dignity and respect, and ensure that they have access to justice and independent restitution.”

ENDS

Notes to news editors:

For further information please contact Rachael Maskell on 020 7420 8979 and/or  07768 693933 or Shaun Noble Unite communications officer on 07768 693 940.

The EAT found that many features of Ms Moore's association with the Methodist Church had the hallmarks of employment, including the receipt of a salary, accommodation and a pension.

Unite has been fighting for equal rights at work for religious workers for the last 16 years.