£10m claim after IMF job rejection

From the archive, first published Friday 8th Oct 1999.

Economist Gavin Cameron has launched a £10m discrimination battle against the International Monetary Fund after losing a job offer because he suffers from cystic fibrosis.

"I'm not too bothered about the money but I would love to do this job," he said.

Dr Cameron, 30, an economics lecturer at Oxford University's Nuffield College, has a first-class degree and a doctorate in international economic growth.

With his qualifications, he knew he had a good chance of winning the £40,000-a-year position with IMF, the global economics experts, based in Washington DC. At interviews in Oxford and Paris, he carefully explained his inherited condition, which affects the lungs and digestion, but having spent just ten days in hospital over the past seven years, he did not expect it to be an issue.

Earlier this year, he was delighted to be told that he had got the job, which involves foreign travel.

But a month later the offer was withdrawn after IMF doctors considered the post could be too demanding for him.

Speaking from his Nuffield College study in New Road, Oxford yesterday (THURS), he said: "I appealed against their decision but I heard back from the IMF in September that they had reviewed my medical condition and still decided against me.

"One of the reasons for not employing me was concern about me coping with foreign travel but I have lectured in the United States and Spain with no problems. "I only have a mild form of cystic fibrosis and I feel I would have no difficulty doing this job. I have now hired a lawyer to fight my case because I want the IMF to have to abide by legislation which has been set up to protect the disabled in the work-place."

Dr Cameron added that he expects to lead a normal life for 'at least the next 20 years', even though life expectancy for cystic fibrosis sufferers is reduced.

The winner of the 1997 cystic fibrosis academic achiever of the year award added: "I go skiing every year, I was president of the University riding club and play a lot of sports. The cystic fibrosis has never got in my way." His lawyer Lawrence Davies said under American law Dr Cameron could be entitled to £10m in punitive damages. But the IMF can claim immunity from US law under its articles of association - in which case Dr Cameron would have to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

"I don't think it is right that the IMF should not have to abide by legislation in place in both the United States and Great Britain and my legal case will address that," he added.

An IMF spokesman denied Dr Cameron had been a victim of discrimination, saying the job offer had been a victim of discrimination, saying the job offer had been subject to passing a medical assessment.

A spokesman for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust said: "There is no reason why someone with cystic fibrosis who is getting the proper treatment cannot lead a perfectly normal working life." The International Monetary Fund is an international organisation of 182 member countries, established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability and orderly exchange arrangements.

Story date: Friday 08 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

Archive Home