From The Age:

‘Bombchucker’ taunt costs company $25,000

MOHAMED Abdulrahman’s first name was too difficult for his colleagues, so they called him “bombchucker” instead.

The Toll Express employees pretended to stumble over the public address system calling him “Mokaakaakaahamed” and found another tag they could pronounce: Osama bin Laden. Mr Abdulrahman, who drove forklifts and stacked trucks, was told to change his name to John or David or “whatever”.

In a meeting about a work injury, a union delegate told him: “F—ing bombchucker … what do you think, you want to go home with $1 million and chuck bombs around Australia?” Everyone in the room laughed, except Mr Abdulrahman.

Now, NSW’s Administrative Decisions Tribunal has awarded him damages of $25,000. It upheld his complaint of illegal race discrimination this week, finding he was repeatedly mocked at his work because of his race. The tribunal did not order Toll Express to apologise because “there would be little value in an apology that was not genuine”.

Mr Abdulrahman was born in Australia to parents who migrated from Lebanon.

He did not lodge a discrimination complaint earlier because he had a mortgage, wife and three children to support and needed his job. However, after two years, he could not take it any more.

Mr Abdulrahman, who is not working, welcomed the decision.

Toll Express general manager Neil Pollington said the company would appeal against the decision.