There was a fall in the number of Travellers bringing claims of discrimination to the Equality Tribunal last year, and an increase in the number of people alleging discrimination on race and gender grounds.
Overall, the number of complaints has fallen for the first time since the tribunal was set up, down from 1,289 in 2002 to 1,078 in 2003. These trends are shown in the figures for 2003, released today by the Equality Tribunal.
Since September last year complaints of discrimination against licensed premises go before the District Court rather than the tribunal. However, complaints made before September are included in the 2003 figures, and the fall in complaints was steady throughout the year, according to the director of the tribunal, Ms Melanie Pine.
The number of claimants seeking to resolve their claims through the tribunal's mediation service grew by more than a third, with 208 opting for this route, compared with 153 in 2002. Welcoming this trend, Ms Pine said: "Mediation offers both parties the opportunity to resolve their issues privately with the help of a trained and impartial mediator, rather than going down the more formal investigation route."
Asked why the number of complaints from members of the Travelling community had fallen, Ms Pine said the reasons were probably varied. "Both sides are more aware of how the legislation works. We find there are training programmes in place, and people are more aware of how to avoid discrimination. Also the publicity about cases have shown which ones are more likely to succeed."
The numbers of complaints upheld, both in relation to employment and equal status, were now averaging out at close to one in three, she said, which is about the international average. In 2002, 55 per cent of cases were found in favour of the respondent, while this rose to 60 per cent last year.
The most dramatic change is the number of members of the Travelling community claiming discrimination in access to goods and services under the Equal Status Act, overwhelmingly in the hospitality industry. The figures show a matching fall in the number of complaints against licensed premises, down from 830 in 2002 to 493 last year.
There were 741 claims of discrimination from the Travelling community under the Equal Status Act in 2002, three-quarters of all such claims. Last year this fell to 354, less than half of all claims under this Act. However, this was offset somewhat by the doubling of claims on multiple grounds, many of which included membership of the Travelling community, and which rose from 98 to 202.
Race is now emerging as a significant cause of discrimination, both in relation to employment and access to goods and services. The number of claims on this ground relating to employment doubled from 43 to 85 between 2002 and 2003, while it increased from 50 to 63 (26 per cent) in access to goods and services.Despite decades of anti-discrimination legislation on the ground of gender, claims of sex discrimination at work continue to rise, with an increase from 69 to 107 (55 per cent).
Claims of discrimination on the ground of disability fell in relation to employment, but rose in relation to equal status. The equality legislation also outlaws discrimination on the basis of age, religion, marital status, family status and sexual orientation, but the numbers of claims brought on these grounds remains limited, though they can feature in the claims brought on multiple grounds.