London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

British specialist decries discrimination after he was called "gweilo” and fired from tunnel project

British specialist decries discrimination after he was called "gweilo” and fired from tunnel project

A British blasting specialist told a Hong Kong court on Monday that he was fired from a tunnel project due to racial discrimination, and said he was called a “gweilo" by colleagues.
Francis Haden brought the discrimination lawsuit against construction company Leighton Contractors (Asia), which had hired him to work on the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel project. He was dismissed from the post in February 2017.

During the District Court hearing on Monday, Haden accused his former employer of racial discrimination that cost him his job.

The court heard Haden was tasked to be in charge of the blasting work for the construction of the tunnel in August 2016. However, he was excluded from meetings and was bypassed in the chain of command when he was on leave from January 28 to February 12 in 2017.

He said his former employer arranged meetings on days he was off, without providing him the minutes which he should have access to as the person-in-charge.

He added that his former employer even instructed his subordinates to handle the blasting work without notifying him.

However, the respondent said the work procedures were carried out as per usual when Haden was on leave, with his subordinates handling the work during his absence.

The respondent also pointed out that Haden's claim of racial discrimination was groundless, and was only his own assumption.

According to the notice of claim filed, apart from the accusation of being frozen-out at work, Haden said his employment was terminated and he felt unwelcome because he was not Chinese.

“On a number of occasions, the claimant heard references to himself and other non-Chinese working on the project as being ‘gweilo’ in a derogatory sense,” the writ said.

“Gweilo”, which literally means “ghost man”, is a Cantonese slang term for a foreigner.

Haden’s court filing further alleges a “general, underlying hostility towards non-Chinese employees.”

He claims he was shown an email by a colleague which detailed the reluctance of a Chinese state-run engineering firm to hire a non-Chinese-speaking subcontractor, believing it would cause a communication problem.

Haden is now seeking HK$200,000 in compensation for injury to his feelings in addition to the amount that he should have been paid in total since the day he was fired, a written apology, and anti-discrimination training for company staff.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×