There has been a worrying rise in the number of complaints made to the Equality Tribunal concerning racial discrimination in the workplace. While the numbers involved last year - at less than 150 - are still small in the context of a workforce exceeding two million people, the upward trend in racial abuse and discrimination should send a warning signal to the Government and the social partners about the need for remedial action.
Any form of bigotry in the workplace is unacceptable, generates friction and damages the cohesion of society. The introduction of anti-discriminatory and equal status legislation provided the basis for the establishment of the Equality Tribunal in 1999. Since then, the tribunal has not only vindicated the rights of individual employees; it has set precedents for what is, or is not, acceptable behaviour in the workplace and has made that material widely available. As a consequence, there has been an increase in the number of complaints as individuals became aware of their rights and avenues of redress. And employers have been obliged to accept their responsibilities.
Our society is undergoing rapid change. Nearly one-in-eight of the workforce has been born elsewhere. Some unscrupulous employers exploit their vulnerability by way of sub-standard pay and conditions. And work colleagues can behave badly by engaging in verbal and even physical abuse. If such discrimination is not stamped out, what hope have we of successfully integrating these new workers and wealth-creators in a modern, vibrant community?
In the past, the majority of complaints about discrimination in the workplace came from women who believed their male colleagues had received special treatment. People with disabilities came next. Grievances also centred on issues of age and sexual orientation. Such traditional forms of discrimination are still alive and active, but race-related discrimination made up nearly half of all formal complaints lodged during the past six months.
Apart from providing the resources necessary to allow the Equality Tribunal do its work, the Government should address the wider picture. The Minister of State with responsibility for integration, Conor Lenihan will have to co-ordinate the delivery of a wide range of State services for migrant workers and their families if tensions are to be minimised. The provision of English language teaching for both children and adults should be made a priority in order to encourage social cohesion. Everyone can contribute to the project by holding out the hand of friendship and welcoming diversity.