A trade union conference underscored incidents of racial prejudice towards immigrant workers, involving a monkey image posted on a notice board in a staffroom, false accusations of assault, and punitive measures against an employee for resisting a hostile shoplifter. As explained by Dr Lucy Michael, an equality and integration consultant, at an event of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), racial harassment and bias at workplaces are escalating. She noted that the culprits could be employers, coworkers, or the public, and trade unions often find it challenging to provide the necessary support.
Dr Michael shared the initial findings of her research interviews with European and non-European migrant laborers in Ireland. She recounted how these dialogues had revealed ‘immensely traumatic experiences’, with the impact potentially amplified when the victims were already facing racial oppression outside their work environment.
She emphasised how workplaces can facilitate migrant integration given the extended daily time shared by colleagues. “You’re in each other’s company during long shifts, you labor intensively together, you tackle obstacles and find solutions jointly,” she stated.
However, she also highlighted that workplaces can become a breeding ground for harassment and bullying due to the daily and long durations spent, which leaves workers with no option but to endure for their wages, making them highly susceptible to exploitation.
Dr Michael added that post-financial crisis, protections against employer discrimination have weakened, and the threshold to secure cases at the Workplace Relations Commission has been raised, thereby deterring potential complaints.
Dr. Michael stated that neglecting key issues extends beyond the private sector. His statement was supplemented by recent information from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, which confessed that several internal training programmes coordinated by the Institute of Public Administration had been called off due to lack of engagement. These programmes were meant to teach management of a diversified workforce and foster authentic leadership.
Additionally, Dr. Michael highlighted that the situation for workers is deteriorating due to the increase in misinformation being circulated on the internet.
He complimented the vast efforts by trade unions to inform workers about their rights over the years, acknowledging that it’s a testament to the trade union movement’s strength. However, he noted the need to understand the quality of support offered to someone claiming to have suffered racial discrimination.
Despite generally positive responses, he asserted that the feedback was mixed, with differing levels of training and communication skills among unions. There’s a shared perception that individuals from minority ethnic communities are underrepresented among union officials and activists.
Gordon Ogutu, a co-author of the report, expressed the need for migrant workers to have confidence in reporting systems. He pointed out that the workers who had encountered racial discrimination need to be effectively backed by union representatives. He added that union representatives should be adept with employment and equality laws to recognise instances of racial discrimination.
Ictu’s general secretary, Owen Reidy, denounced racism stating, it has “no room in any respectable workplace.” He applauded individual union’s reactions to issues related to racism describing them as “a sincere demonstration of the movement’s staunch opposition to all forms of prejudice.” Ictu has issued a “toolkit” designed to assist union representatives in creating more inclusive workplaces.