Sir - The British government's proposals for ending the differential between Catholic and Protestant unemployment rates in Northern Ireland (The Irish Times, March 12th) constitute a major attack on individual rights.
The Northern Secretary, Ms Mowlam, spoke of "affirmative action as far as the job interview door". Members of the "underrepresented" community in any workplace are to be encouraged to apply for job vacancies, and, by implication, members of the "over-represented" group are, in effect, to be discouraged.
Here on the west bank of Derry we already have job advertisements which say: "As Protestants are under-represented in this organisation they are particularly welcome to apply." Imagine the effect on Catholic job-applicants when they read such adverts. In other parts of the North the position is reversed and Catholics are told that their applications "are particularly welcome". Consider the effect on Protestant job-applicants.
Hitherto such openly discriminatory job advertising has not been compulsory, although it is strongly advised by the "Fair" Employment Commission. In future employers will be required to give preference to members of "under-represented" religious groups. Ms Mowlam admits that recruitment measures will use preferential treatment on the basis of religion, but says it will "stop at the interview door". But it cannot stop at the interview door if her objective of proportionate representation is to be achieved. Her talk of "equality of opportunity" is, at best, misleading. What she wants is equality of outcome.
This classification and labelling of people according to their religion reinforces religious group identities. It is based on the ethically repulsive belief that the descendants of those who may have discriminated in the past should be penalised for the sins of their parents or grandparents. The measures can only make matters worse. The problems caused by discrimination in the past will not be solved by making discrimination in the present compulsory. Yours, etc.,
Hillview Avenue, Derry.