Two Lithuanian men get €25k over harassment

TWO Lithuanian men whose employer regularly swore at them using phrases such as “You f**king Pole,” “You stupid Russian!” have been awarded a total of €25,500 by the Equality Tribunal.

The two men, who were qualified stonemasons, worked as bricklayers for All Purpose Stone Ltd in Co Offaly where they claimed both their employer and his brother regularly harassed them.

The men, Vilmantas Ganusauskas and Tomas Gwaizdauskas, said they did not know how to end the harassment because they were not aware of any way in which to complain about their treatment. All Irish workers at the company were related to either the owner or his brothers.