London, England - A British Christian who claims he was fired for refusing to work on Sundays has lost his second appeal of his case.
The U.K. Court of Appeal today ruled that quarry operator WBB Devon Clays Ltd. acted reasonably in dismissing Stephen Copsey, who formerly worked as a supervisor for the company in King's Lynn, England.
Copsey, 33, was terminated in July 2002 after he refused to move to a seven-day work schedule. He argued the schedule interfered with his belief in observing Sunday as a day of rest. He was seeking as much as 65,000 pounds ($113,000) in damages for unfair dismissal.
``Devon Clays had compelling economic reasons which made it necessary to change the working practices of its workforce to a 7- day shift,'' Justice John Mummery wrote in the judgment. ``No sensible alternative to dismissal could be found.''
Two lower employment tribunals had previously rejected Copsey's case, on the grounds that WBB Devon Clays, now known as WBB Minerals Ltd., had offered him alternative positions and that his dismissal wasn't connected to his religious beliefs.
The Court of Appeal today upheld those rulings, saying that the company hadn't infringed Copsey's rights to freely practice his religion and beliefs under European human rights law.
The case is A2/2004/0432 Stephen Copsey and WWB Devon Clays Ltd.