Pontins has been slammed for discriminating towards particular accents and surnames of individuals labelled “undesirable guests”.
The vacation agency, owned by Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited, was discovered to have a blacklist of frequent Irish surnames, with employees informed to refuse or cancel bookings made underneath these names, LiverpoolEcho experiences.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) additionally found Pontins had a rule requiring company to be on the electoral register, which is discriminatory towards Travellers who’re much less prone to be registered. The EHRC has served the enterprise with an illegal act discover as a result of “multiple instances of race discrimination against Irish Travellers” discovered throughout its investigation.
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(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The EHRC had been first knowledgeable in 2020 by a whistleblower, resulting in an equality watchdog with Pontins in 2021, a legally binding settlement to finish practices of discrimination. Pontins did not adjust to the settlement, which was terminated in 2022.
A proper investigation then adopted as Pontins closed a property in Southport on account of flooding, although Member of Parliament for Southport, Damien Moore, famous it had did not cross an inside business viability evaluation.
Britannia CEO Alex Langsam later refused to apologise to employees who had been laid off from the Southport resort with out discover. Baroness Kishwer Falkner, who’s accountable for the EHRC, mentioned: “Our investigation into Pontins uncovered flagrant breaches of the Equality Act 2010. Their business practices demonstrated shocking overt race discrimination towards Irish Travellers and there was a culture of denial.”
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
She added: “We remain deeply concerned about these discriminatory practices. They were instigated and supported by senior managers and their leadership failed to take any action or accept corporate responsibility. Such unlawful and discriminatory behaviour is completely unacceptable, and it must never be tolerated.”
Chris McDonagh, from Friends, Families and Travellers, shared: “It is deeply saddening that Irish Traveller people have become so used to hate and prejudice that the Pontins ‘blacklist’ did not come as a surprise.”
He added: “Whilst we are certain that Pontins are not the only ones operating such discriminatory policies, we welcome the EHRC’s investigation and commend the whistleblower’s principled stance. Everyone deserves to live free from hate and prejudice.”
The Daily Star has contacted Britannia for remark.
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