– This is strange. It was just a matter of a simple window wash, says Eli Dorthea Taunton. On 14 April, general manager Taunton in Hafrsfjord parish sends an e-mail to the cleaning company Ren Glede Renhold. The windows in the Hafrsfjord center – a church building – are dirty, and she wants someone to wash the outside. But exactly that would prove to be difficult. She gets an answer from the cleaning company the same day. news has gained access to the e-mail exchange. See the response from Ren Glede Renhold further down in the article. The cleaning company would remain religiously and ideologically neutral. Taunton in Hafrsfjord congregation calls it all strange. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news Complained to the discrimination board – It feels quite strange that a customer relationship with a professional firm was not accepted. Especially when we didn’t ask them to join any religious activities or events, says Taunton. The answer puzzled her, and she then reported it to the church warden in Stavanger Kirkelige Fellesråd. They notified the case to KA, which is an employers’ organization for church businesses. KA filed a complaint against Ren Glede Renhold to the discrimination board for discrimination of religion and way of life. It was not about the church itself that was refused window cleaning, but this parish building next door. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news – In violation of the law Although KA believes that the practical significance of being refused washing is small, they have a clear position: – Businesses cannot discriminate against customers on the basis of faith. Just as little as they can discriminate against customers on the basis of gender, age, orientation, political position or anything else, says department director and lawyer Ingrid B. Tenfjord in KA. Ingrid B. Tenfjord is department director and lawyer at KA. She says it is natural to work to ensure that discrimination against the church is clamped down on. Photo: Geir Anders Rybakken Orslien She refers to §6 of the Act on Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination when she says that she hopes the tribunal will state clearly that this is in breach of the law. – If such practices are allowed to spread in secret, it will affect both denominations, other faith and life-view communities and a number of other value-based businesses. We do not want such a development, she says. KA believes that Ren Glede Renhold breaks the law when they refuse to wash on the basis of religion and outlook on life. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news news has submitted the case to general manager Steffen Fiskå in Ren Glede Renhold. He will not comment on the e-mails where the company refuses the job because of religion. Regarding the complaint at the Discrimination Board, he makes the following written comment: “We are not familiar with this case. We have not received any complaints or inquiries about this. In general, I can say that we do not use news to discuss internal matters about our customers, tenders or prices”. – Weird Kirkeverge in Stavanger ecclesiastical joint council calls it all strange. – There was no question of them taking part in a church service or church action. After all, it was only the outside washing of windows, says Rune Skagestad, who contacted KA. Church warden in Stavanger ecclesiastical joint council, Rune Skagestad. Photo: Ingvild Taranger / news Taunton in the congregation in Hafrsfjord says it is no big deal for them. – We will find others who can wash. It is perfectly fine if they have a lot to do, but refusing on the basis of a religious point of view is not fine, she says. Handles the complaint Kristine Sandven is assistant director of the Discrimination Board. They received the complaint on 7 July. She says it will probably take several months before the case is fully processed. – The case manager will eventually forward it to the cleaning company for comments. When the answer comes, we send it to complaints, then the cleaning company will get a final comment, says Sandven. Kristne Sandven in the Discrimination Board. She says the case is being dealt with normally and says it is too early to say anything about what will happen with this specific case. Photo: Discrimination Board The case will then be dealt with in the board, unless it is rejected. Takes the matter seriously Although the windows in the church building are now clean and tidy, the congregation has not put the matter behind them. – I hope that we get feedback that you cannot give such type of refusals that are bound by religion or political affiliation, says Taunton. What remains for Taunton and the congregation now is to wait until the Discrimination Board starts dealing with the case. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news
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Cleaning company wanted to be religiously neutral – did not wash windows in church buildings – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
