No. 1516: Cross Victory with reporting and interview regarding Unibuss' bullying and discrimination against me!

No. 1516:
Cross Victory with reporting and interview regarding Unibuss' bullying and discrimination against me!

http://the-heavenly-blog.janchristensen.net/2020/01/no-1502-union-clearly-states-that-one.html


Fax mile off in KS

The text here:

Christian bus driver fears being fired

TEXT: RAKEL BERNTZEN post@k-s.no

Jan Kåre Christensen played praises at work. Now Unibuss has sent him a written warning.

Several passengers have complained to Unibuss about bus driver and Christian blogger Jan Kåre Christensen for playing Christian music on the bus. The bus company responded by giving Christensen a service charge warning of further sanctions if he did not change behavior. - I feel persecuted because of my Christian faith, at worst I can lose my job, says Christensen to the Cross's Victory. It is certainly not the first time there has been a storm around Christensen. On his own website, he regularly criticizes Christian profiles for their way of life. Signs and remarriage in particular may be reviewed. It ended in conviction for harassing Oslo pastor Jan Aage Torp through his blog posts.

- OUT OF TAKING ME.

On his own blog he has published the written warning from Unibuss. There it appears that several passengers have complained that Christensens for playing Christian music and preaching at high volume. Apparently he should have "run with loud religious propaganda where hate and racist stories about Muslims and Jews, among others, were clearly told". Others accused him of being "Vision-Norway collaborator" and that the music he played "embarrassed the whole bus". The bus driver from Oslo experiences the complaints as exaggerated and untrue: - I only listen to approved radio stations that have a license in Norway. These are channels that all bus drivers have access to. None of the programs I've listened to have racist content. I do not have my own CDs and the sound level is quite normal. Here are some who have been looking to take me, he thinks. - Did you intend to mission? - I should not hide the fact that I am happy when people hear the Christian message. I mean that's the best message in the world, but that's not the point here. I listen to Christian radio for my own edification, something I have the right to do.

EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATED. EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATED. Passengers respond may Christensen live with, but the bus company response he believes is borderline on persecution.

- It is impossible to avoid anyone reacting to a Christian message, I have to accept that, but I feel the response from Unibuss as heat and persecution. They expect me to just give in, but we live in a democracy where we have to respect each other's opinions. - Bus is public transport, do you understand that Christian programs can be intrusive on some passengers? - No, I have neither understanding nor sympathy for that. I only drive large buses of 20 meters, the sound reaches a maximum of three meters. If someone does not want to listen to Christian programs, they can move further behind. A bus trip lasts a few minutes, it should not be so difficult to listen to a little different radio, he believes.

- The company has broken the law. - The company has broken the law. Jan Kåre Christensen believes it is the company, and not he, who has broken Norwegian law. On the blog, Christensen refers to a reply letter from the Equality and Discrimination Ombud, stating that his case may "be discrimination on grounds of religion under section 6 of the Equality and Discrimination Act."

On this basis he has appealed the case to the Discrimination Board. If he does not succeed, he will go to trial. - They want me to stop listening to Christian programs, but I think this is both unfair and an intervention in my sphere. I should listen to programs on par with everyone else, there are no laws or internal guidelines that prohibit me from doing so. Per Christian Bing, Head of Personnel at Unibuss, can confirm that they have received notice from the Discrimination Board and sent a reply.

Since the case is now there, he does not want to comment on the content, but in the reply to the Discrimination Board he writes that the company's rules for radio use are that the volume should be "at a level that does not disturb the customers". When it comes to the discrimination claims, Bing further writes that "for Unibuss, it is subordinate to what religion the employees have", but that it is not open to missionary work in the workplace.

Unibuss Communications Manager Emilie Mejlander confirms that the company has sent a response to this case to the Discrimination Board. - In general, we at Unibuss are committed to showing respect and tolerance for each other, regardless of their outlook on life, age, gender etc. We have employees from more than 50 different nationalities and value the diversity of the company. Mejlander does not want to comment further on the matter and justifies it as a personnel matter.

A PRINCIPLE. A PRINCIPLE. Christensen has applied for the bus company for NOK 50,000 in recovery, but believes this is not about money. - The money is not important here, it's more about protesting when I as a Christian citizen feel wrong finished processing. I am part of the community, go to work and pay taxes, I should also be respected in line with others. - What do you think of a Muslim playing Muslim radio channels at work?

- I hear that Muslim colleagues are doing just that. I don't think Unibuss cares about that, either. Everyone should play what they want, to me this is a principle. For 15 years, Christensen has worked as a bus driver, regularly having Christian radio programs on the bus. - Many have also commented on how nice music I play. Also, the bus drivers I work with, many of them from a Muslim background, support me in this matter, Christensen claims. On the blog he posts the passengers' complaints, as well as correspondence between his lawyer at the Professional Traffic Association, Unibuss and the Discrimination Board.