Calls to boycott baby scan clinic that bullied Black worker (original) (raw)

Calls are growing for a boycott of a private baby scan clinic after its owners were found to have racially harassed, threatened and bullied a Black worker. Nigerian sonographer Tina Dilibe was forced to vacuum and mop the premises of Window to the Womb in Swansea — despite being employed in a medical role — and she was warned her immigration sponsorship would end if she did not do as she was told.

Yesterday we reported that Mrs Dilibe, who was the only medically qualified staff member, won a payout of £33,611 after an employment tribunal found she had been victim to "humiliating, offensive and degrading" treatment. Five days after we approached the Swansea franchise operation and the wider group — which has 53 clinics — they have finally responded, though they stopped short of an apology. A spokesman for the group said: "The court findings are not consistent with our brand ethos."

Race Council Cymru slammed Window to the Womb over the revelations from the tribunal, which included racist comments from the group's former clinical lead Jeanette Clewes, who admitted saying: “You have to be careful, these Africans tell lies." The race equality non-profit described the discrimination as "unacceptable", adding: "This is utterly reprehensible and we call on all who support racial justice to boycott this clinic." For the latest analysis of the biggest stories, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

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Anti-racism campaigner Debbie Ariyo OBE, who founded the BME Anti-Slavery Network, posted on social media that the payout was not sufficient given the "extreme" and "horrific" discrimination. She continued: "We haven’t even started to scratch the surface of the gross abuse and exploitation of migrant workers going on with these UK work sponsorship visas."

Institutional racism expert Dr Ruby Zelzer wrote on X: "Boycotting Window to the Womb is the only logical step. Open discrimination of African people and abuse of staff is just a no." And Beth Fisher, a TV presenter and former Wales hockey player, posted: "Absolutely horrendous and for it to happen in Wales hits extra hard. Sending love and strength to Tina xxx."

Juliet Luporini, pictured during her time as co-owner of Swansea's Kardomah cafe, racially discriminated against a sonographer at Window to the Womb

Employment Judge Claire Sharp heavily criticised the Swansea franchise owners Juliet Luporini — a prominent Swansea figure who chaired the city's Business Improvement District from 2009 to 2023 and used to co-own the well-known Kardomah cafe — and Anthony Woodcock. The judge said those two directors had a perception that they had effectively "bought" Mrs Dilibe and that "black Africans 'imported' into the UK were here to work". Both Ms Luporini and Mr Woodcock were found to have racially harassed and discriminated against the sonographer. Both were also found to have given "untruthful" evidence and tried to mislead the tribunal.

Mrs Dilibe regularly had to work 12 days out of 14 despite her terms saying she'd only be working five days a week. The court heard she was not paid for the extra days. In nine months at the clinic in Swansea's Tawe Business Village Enterprise Park, she was only allowed six days of holiday, all on dates decided by the business. Ms Luporini and Mr Woodcock knew she was alone in the UK and "vulnerable to enable them to bully her".

There was also racism on a wider scale. The judge found "it was only Black African sonographers who were expected to carry out general cleaning in the wider Window to the Womb group". Black sonographers recorded their concerns in a Whatsapp group, including "an instruction from management to Black African sonographers to keep general cleaning secret in case the Society of Radiographers found out".

A spokesperson for the Window to the Womb group did not answer WalesOnline's questions about whether it would continue its relationship with the Swansea franchise owners who racially harassed Mrs Dilibe. Its spokesman said: "We, like the wider community were shocked and dismayed at the findings of the court. We pride ourselves on our diversity and our network is proudly made up of employees and clinic owners of a wide range of ethnicities and religious beliefs. The court findings are not consistent with our brand ethos. We can confirm that Window to the Womb (Franchise) Limited do not employ individuals who hold racist beliefs.”

The group confirmed it no longer employed Jeanette Clewes, its former clinical lead who made racist comments after Mrs Dilibe spoke out. Ms Clewes admitted saying Africans "tell lies" and: "These Africans all have hygiene problems, it is a real problem for us to deal with." Window to the Womb did not confirm whether it had referred Ms Clewes to the regulator, which the judge had expected to happen following her "astonishing" admissions. The Health and Care Professions Council said it could not comment for confidentiality reasons.

WalesOnline asked the Swansea clinic if the bosses who racially harassed Mrs Dilibe would step down from their roles. Its spokesperson said: "We at the Swansea clinic of Window to the Womb wish to express our deep concern regarding the tribunal’s findings. We want to assure the public that we are committed to addressing the issues raised and are actively working to ensure that our clinic remains a welcoming and safe environment for all. We are fully cooperating with our corporate headquarters and relevant authorities to review our practices and policies. This includes taking necessary actions regarding the individuals involved in the tribunal’s findings."

They added: "Racial harassment and discrimination have no place in our clinic. We are dedicated to learning from this incident and implementing measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. We take these matters seriously and are committed to making right by our staff, clients and community."

Race Council Cymru's head of communications Ifeoluwa Ishola described the tribunal as "a damning indictment" of racial injustice that continues to plague society. She said: "We robustly condemn this despicable behaviour and refuse to stand idly by while individuals are subjected to such abhorrent treatment based on their race. We call upon the community to take a stand against racism by boycotting the Window to the Womb clinic in Swansea until they acknowledge and rectify their egregious actions. It is imperative that we send a clear message that racial discrimination will not be tolerated and those who perpetrate it face consequences aligning with the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan."

A Society of Radiographers spokeswoman said the union is "pleased to have been able to get justice for our member" and that "it took a lot of courage for an individual, who was new to the UK, unaware of their basic rights of employment, to speak out about such appalling treatment". She said: "Sadly, this is not an isolated case, and we are seeing an increase in precarious working practices, especially with the increase in international recruits being employed in the UK. This is an ever more critical area of work given the workforce crisis across radiography. Currently two out of three new registrants are from overseas and to address waiting lists recruiting from overseas will continue to be critical for the foreseeable future."

She continued: "The SoR would encourage all international recruits to join a trade union or professional body that can represent them and support them in circumstances where they could be exploited or subjected to precarious working practices and raise these matters when they occur. We are committed to continuing to work alongside other unions and groups supporting international recruits to protect them from exploitation and unethical practices in the workplace."

You can read our full court report on the tribunal findings here. Support award-winning journalism with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android.

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