International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

by HRHQ Editorial Team

Today is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, (Tuesday, March 21) and to mark the occasion the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), and Ibec have issued a joint statement to stand against racism and to promote inclusive workplaces.

The two organisations say they are recommitting themselves to the elimination of racism and discrimination in the workplace.

Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec said “An open and tolerant society is irrefutably a key driver for social and economic wellbeing and success. Experience has shown that the diverse workforces that underpin the Irish labour market have helped to strengthen talent pools, boost productivity, and increase creativity and innovation, all of which have contributed to Ireland’s competitiveness and growth in recent decades. Despite this, research tells us that we have more work to do to ensure our workplaces are welcoming to a wide culturally diverse community of individuals. We must remain vigilant to racism, harassment and racial discrimination and ensure that it has no place in our workplaces and that it is not allowed to be part of any narrative or to undermine the positive actions undertaken. To do this requires us not to be complacent, to listen and to address attitudes and behaviours, and to look at our policies and practices to ensure our workplaces are proactively embedding diversity, equity and inclusion.“

Owen Reidy, ICTU General Secretary added “There are a small number of very vocal groups here organising to sew their hate and division amongst our communities and workplaces. We are confident that the vast majority of Irish people do not support them and stand for an inclusive and democratic Ireland.  We commit to building solidarity between working people of all backgrounds and to work towards ensuring that their message never gains mainstream traction in our communities and workplaces. Further investment in workplace integration can help make our workplaces more effective roles for wider society.”

Both Ibec and ICTU said in the joint statement, we now have a very diverse labour market with migrants and people from ethnic minorities playing key roles across the economy and our public services, particularly our health service.