Racism claims at work up by 600%

THERE has been a 600% increase in the number of racial discrimination claims referred to the Equality Tribunal.

Quarterly figures, published yesterday, show that for the first time, discrimination claims on race grounds topped the number of gender discrimination claims.

Between January and March this year, 33 race claims were referred to the Tribunal, compared to just five for the same period last year, accounting for almost one third of all claims referred under the Employment Equality Act.

Unions leaders have expressed concern at the growing levels of workplace racism. SIPTU general secretary Joe O’Flynn said his union was making a conscious effort to stamp it out.

“That level of increase is disconcerting and would certainly be a cause of concern to all of us. We’ve become a more culturally diverse society and there’s a need for people to show greater sensitivity in comment and attitude. Within our own union we’ve developed a very strong campaign to create awareness of what constitutes racial discrimination in the workplace, but we must redouble our efforts to stamp it out.”

The Tribunal recorded a 50% increase in the number of workplace discrimination claims referred to it in the first quarter, up from 49 to 72.

Disability and age discrimination continued to be the most frequently cited grounds under employment equality legislation.

Director of the Equality Tribunal, Melanie Pine, attributed the jump in the number of employment equality claims to a growing awareness of equality rights.

“While it is early in the year to identify long-term trends, the jump in the number of employment equality claims in the first three months of this year is very striking. It is clear that people are becoming more familiar with the new equality rights, particularly on the new grounds,” she said.

Thirteen decisions covering 57 claims under employment equality legislation were published during the first three months of the year. Of these, 27% were upheld (3 decisions, of which one included a group of 44 complainants), compared to 41% in the same period last year (which included no group claims). The total amount awarded was down from 73,470 to 6,000 (this includes the group decision where the redress awarded comprised a direction for action rather than compensation).

Under the Equal Status Act 2002 there was no real change in the number of claims received by the Equality Tribunal, but there was a noticeable drop in the number of claims from the Traveller community, down 20%, from 167 to 138, compared to the same period last year. In this period 212 claims were referred, compared to 206 in the same period last year.