Irish Unions Battle Against Racism

Date: 20 December 2002

The ICFTU's Irish affiliate the ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Unions) has been running an effective campaign on combating racist and xenophobic attitudes.

The economic boom in Ireland has rapidly transformed it from a country of emigrants into one attracting immigrants.

The arrival of thousands of new faces from all over the world has been accompanied by a surge of racism. In isolated incidents, foreigners have been attacked on the streets.

We focus on the work of Esther Lynch, who is in charge of action to promote equality and part of the ICTU's campaign on combating racist and xenophobic attitudes.

In March 2002 the ICTU set up an Anti-racism Task Force. What has this group been doing?

The task force consists of representatives from trade unions and groups liable to encounter racism, such as refugees, asylum seekers and travellers. Its task is to look at what Irish unions have already done to combat racism and to learn from their experiences. It also provides resources and technical assistance to unions developing anti-discrimination policies. Our aim is to establish a common strategy for the Irish trade unions geared to creating an environment in which racism will not easily flourish.

Which groups of migrants are most vulnerable?

Many workers enter Ireland using a permit their employer has requested on their behalf. They are therefore dependent on their employers and cannot leave their jobs if they wish to stay in Ireland. A second group consists of those living here totally illegally. Some are employed as domestic staff and are deprived of any contact with other people.

The ICTU is also campaigning for asylum seekers whose requests are being processed to obtain permission to work. The right to work is a basic human right and we do not see why asylum seekers should be deprived of it. They want to work, since as things stand they receive less than 20 euros per week, with the remainder in the form of provisions, so they cannot even choose their own food. Some claim they have come here to benefit from social security, but that is simply wrong since Ireland is preventing them from working and forcing them to live in insecurity throughout their asylum processes.

What are the most frequent racist acts in workplaces?

The complaints we have received generally concern insults, humiliating comments, graffiti written on foreign workers' lockers, jokes at their expense, or ostracism from other workers.

What successes have Irish unions had in fighting racism?

I think we have been particularly effective in informing workers about their rights and in combating certain forms of discrimination at the workplace, such as illegal deduction of a part of migrant workers' wages to pay recruitment agencies in their countries of origin. We have also managed to organise some migrant workers, which has required our union delegates taking the initiative to meet newly recruited foreign workers. The delegates simply turn up and explain how they can help, whilst enquiring out about the new employees' working conditions.

Informing workers of their rights can be difficult if English is not their mother tongue, however we find ways of communicating with them. This is very important, since workers from discriminated groups do not always enjoy the same social contacts as their Irish colleagues. If an Irishman thinks some deduction from his salary looks unusual, he will mention it to his family or friends at a pub, who will advise him to contact a union. However, foreign workers do not always have such options and sometimes do not earn enough to go to pubs.

What are your next objectives ?

We must manage to change people's attitudes and fight against stereotypes. The success or failure of this type of campaign should not be evaluated after just a year or two: this is a long-term struggle, similar to the one we launched to defend women workers. And whilst we may not always manage to change people's prejudices we should at least be able to stop them from acting on such impulses, by creating an anti-racist legal and social environment.

How can racial prejudice be tackled?

One way is through the media. The Irish Union of Journalists has done a lot in this respect by adopting a code of conduct on how people should be portrayed in the press. We also use the press when we discover serious cases of discrimination, so that a maximum number of people can be made to realise that this is not normal behaviour.

We also provide specially tailored training to union reps. All of them come across one form of discrimination or other against certain workers, but they do not always know how to tackle it, so we see it as our job to help them react better. I really think the unions can help change people's attitudes. For example, our affiliates have held small multicultural parties at their workplaces, in union offices or in job centres. Everyone bring along a favourite dish or musical instrument from his or her country, for example. That is a good way of breaking the ice and getting talking to each other. Racism develops more easily where there is no contact between the different communities.

We could also do with more union delegates from the groups suffering from discrimination - not just foreigners but also disabled people and travellers.

Is racism a new phenomenon in Ireland?

No, but before it was not so obvious at the workplace. The economic growth Ireland has enjoyed in recent years has created a demand for labour, particularly in the health care sector. As our labour force become increasingly multicultural, racism is becoming more evident in the world of work - and a daily concern for the unions. At the same time, however, it is becoming increasingly unacceptable in society. One of the groups that have suffered racism most in Ireland is travellers. Previously, it was considered perfectly alright to call them all sorts of names, but fortunately that is much less acceptable now, thanks in part to our campaigns.

Interview by Samuel Grumiau

The ICFTU represents 158 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org

For further information

Contact:	ICFTU Press Department
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	+32 2 224 0232
Contact Mobile:	+32 475 67 08 33

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