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British Airways to re-think over cross ban


British Airways announced on Friday that they are going to carry out a review of their uniform policy. The decision came in the wake of protests over the company's earlier decision to ban a worker, Nadia Eweida, from wearing a small cross. BA's move, which was announced by Willie Walsh, the airline's chief executive, was hailed by Miss Eweida's union, the TGWU. Brendan Gold, its national officer, said: "We trust this will bring closure to the issue and that she can return to work as soon as possible." Earlier in the day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, had stepped up the pressure on BA by disclosing that the issue had been raised with the Church Commissioners, who look after the Anglicans' financial interests. Having flown on BA for his meeting with the Pope, the Archbishop hinted he might boycott the airline. He said he regarded it as "absolutely basic that people of any faith should have the right to display the signs of their faith commitment in public". "If they're saying that it's to do with matters of health and safety, I would question whether that is a sensible kind of regulation; whether in fact there really is a problem here, and I would ask them to look very seriously at this, given the enormous reaction of dismay that's been caused in the Christian community." He was backed by a number of other Church leaders including Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. The move by BA appeared to have been anticipated by the BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce, who wore a cross while presenting the 10 O'Clock News on Thursday night, for the first time in two months. Her decision to wear the small silver cross comes after she became the focus of controversy last month over whether presenters should wear religious symbols. A BBC spokeswoman said last night: "There is no policy on what jewellery presenters can wear, as long as it does not distract viewers." Source: CoE Comms/BBC

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