GENEVA (ILO News) - While the most blatant forms of discrimination at work may have faded, many remain a persistent and daily part of the workplace or are taking on new, more subtle forms that are cause for growing concern, according to a new study by the International Labour Office (ILO).
What's more, the ILO's most comprehensive study to date on discrimination, entitled "Time for Equality at Work" (see ( note 1 ), warns that neglecting to tackle "widening socio-economic inequalities" in the world of work not only amounts to accepting a "waste of human talent and resources" but could have "disastrous effects on national social cohesion, political stability, and hence growth" in the years to come.
"This may be the most challenging task of contemporary society, and it is essential for social peace and democracy," the report says.
"Every day, around the world, discrimination at work is an unfortunate reality for hundreds of millions of people", said Juan Somavia, the ILO Director-General. "This new report, aptly entitled 'Time for Equality at Work', shows decisively that unless we take action, that time is still a long way off."
The report shows that many of those who suffer from discrimination - especially on the basis of their sex or colour - face a persistent "equality gap" that divides them from dominant groups who enjoy a better life, or even from their own peers who have benefitted from anti-discrimination laws and policies.
"This gap must be closed", Mr. Somavia said. "Failure to deal with discrimination at work will mean greater difficulty in dealing with the challenges posed by increasing migration, unprecedented technological change, the social dimension of globalization and the need to accommodate diversity - and seriously affect social peace and democracy."
The ILO report lays the blame for continuing discrimination on prejudices, stereotypes and biased institutions that have resisted decades of legal efforts and policy measures undertaken by governments, workers and employers against unequal treatment at work.
Discrimination is defined under ILO Convention No. 111 (see note 2) as any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin (among other characteristics), "which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity and treatment in employment or occupation". Discrimination can perpetuate poverty, stifle development, productivity and competitiveness, and ignite political instability, says the report which was prepared under the ILO's 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
But Mr. Somavia said the news is not all bad. "We have made progress", he said. "Today, formal condemnation of discrimination is virtually universal and action to stop discrimination at work has been taken in many places. Still, discrimination remains a constantly evolving 'moving target' and we have a long way to go on the road to equality."
Key findings
Discrimination is still a common problem in the workplace."While some of the more blatant forms of discrimination may have faded, many remain, and others have taken on new or less visible forms", the report says. "For example, the combined effect of global migration, the redefinition of national boundaries ... and growing economic problems and inequalities have exacerbated problems of xenophobia and racial and religious discrimination." More recently, new forms of discrimination based on disability, HIV/AIDS, age or sexual orientation have become cause for growing concern.
Progress in fighting discrimination at work has been uneven and patchy, even for long recognized forms such as discrimination against women."Discrimination at work will not vanish by itself; neither will the market, on its own, take care of it", the report says. For example, many more women earn an income today than 50 years ago, but are still relegated to lower-skilled jobs. Even in countries where women are equally or more educated than men, the "glass ceiling" often blocks their ultimate rise to the top. And everywhere, most women continue to earn less than men.
Inequalities within discriminated groups are widening.Though anti-discrimination policies have increased employment and earnings for many disadvantaged groups, inequalities within these groups are widening. Affirmative action policies, for example, helped create a new middle class of formerly-discriminated persons in some countries. A few rise to the top of the social ladder, while most remain among the low paid and socially excluded.
Discrimination often traps people in low-paid, "informal" economy jobs.The discriminated are often stuck in the worst jobs, and denied benefits, social protection, training, capital, land or credit. Women are more likely than men to be engaged in these more invisible and undercounted activities, such as paid domestic work, unpaid family work and homework.
The failure to eradicate discrimination helps perpetuate poverty.The discriminated are often among the poorest of the poor, and poverty is more severe among women and other discriminated groups. Discrimination creates a web of poverty, forced and child labour and social exclusion, the report says, adding "eliminating discrimination is indispensable to any viable strategy for poverty reduction and sustainable economic development".
Everyone gains from eliminating discrimination at work - individuals, enterprises and society at large.Fairness and justice at the workplace boosts the self-esteem and morale of workers. A more motivated and productive workforce enhances the productivity and competitiveness of businesses. A more even distribution of opportunities to develop and use one's talents, among different groups in society, contributes to social cohesion in increasingly diverse societies.
Types of discrimination
Women are by far the largest discriminated group. Although more and more women are working, much remains to be done. In addition to the "glass ceiling", the "pay gap" between women and men is still significant in most countries. Women are also more likely than men to be found in the lower-paid and least secure jobs. Unemployment rates have almost always been higher for women than men.
Discrimination can occur at every stage of employment, from recruitment to education and remuneration, occupational segregation, and at time of lay-offs. Men and women tend to work in different sectors of the economy and hold different positions within the same occupational group. Women tend to be employed in a narrower range of occupations than men, and are more likely to work part-time or short-term. They also face more barriers to promotion and career development.
Export-led industrial development has opened up many occupations to women, but inequalities remain in terms of pay, hierarchy and promotion. Available evidence seems to show that occupational segregation also persists in new areas of work related to information and communications technologies - once hailed as a window of equal treatment and opportunities for women.
In common with all forms of discrimination, racial discrimination persists, the ILO report says, and affects migrants, ethnic minorities, indigenous and tribal peoples and others vulnerable groups. Rising levels of global migration have significantly altered patterns of racial discrimination against migrant workers, second and third generation migrants and citizens of foreign origin. It is the perception of these workers as foreigners - even when they are not - that may lead to discrimination against them. In today's world, older theories of the purported superiority of one racial or ethnic group over another have been replaced by allegations that foreign and "incompatible" cultures may have disruptive effects on the integrity of national identities.
Discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS is a growing concern, especially among women. This can take many forms, including pre-employment testing leading to a refusal to hire, testing of long-term foreign visitors before entering a country, and in some countries, mandatory tests for migrant workers. Other forms of discrimination include dismissal without medical evidence, notice or a hearing, demotion, denial of health insurance benefits, salary reductions and harassment.
The number of people with disabilities, currently put at some 7-10 per cent of the world's population, is likely to grow as the population ages. The majority live in developing countries, and disability rates appear higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The most common form of discrimination is the denial of opportunities, both in the labour market, and in education and training. Unemployment rates for people with disabilities reach 80 per cent or more in many developing countries. People with disabilities are often trapped in low-paid, unskilled and menial jobs, with little or no social protection.
Over the past decade, discrimination based on religion appears to have increased. The current global political climate has helped fuel sentiments of mutual fear and discrimination between religious groups, threatening to destabilize societies and generate violence. Religious discrimination can include offensive behaviour at work by co-workers or managers towards members of religious minorities; lack of respect and ignorance of religious customs; the obligation to work on religious days or holidays; bias in recruitment or promotion; denial of a business licence; and lack of respect for dress customs.
Concerns over discrimination based on age are also growing. By 2050, 33 per cent of people in developed countries and 19 per cent in developing countries will be 60 or older, most of them women. Discrimination can be overt, such as age limits for hiring, or take more subtle forms, such as allegations that people lack career potential, or have too much experience. Other forms of discrimination include limited access to training and conditions that virtually compel early retirement. Age discrimination is not limited to workers nearing retirement.
Many people suffer from "multiple discrimination". Indigenous and tribal people, for example, are among the poorest of the poor, and women within these groups are even more severely affected. The intensity or severity of the disadvantages they may confront depend on how many personal characteristics may generate discrimination, and how these interrelate. For example, one person can have several characteristics that give rise to discrimination. People who suffer several forms of discrimination tend to be over-represented among the poor, particularly the chronic poor, and in the informal economy.
The ILO response
The ILO report says the workplace - whether a factory, office, plantation, farm or household - is a strategic entry point for fighting discrimination. "When the workplace brings together people with different characteristics and treats them fairly, it helps to combat stereotypes in society as a whole", the report says. "It forces a situation where prejudices can be defused and rendered obsolete. A socially inclusive world of work helps to prevent and to redress social fragmentation, racial and ethnic conflict and gender inequalities."
So far, the report says, outlawing discrimination at work has failed to eliminate the practice. Still, the report concludes that laws banning discrimination are an indispensable, but insufficient, step. Effective enforcement institutions, positive action, unbiased education, training and employment services, and data to monitor progress, are also necessary. This mix of policies and instruments is essential whatever the form of discrimination.
"There is no 'one size fits all' solution for achieving equality at work", says Mr. Somavia. "The problem is different, country-by-country, group-by-group. Moreover, the efforts of the past 50 years have been neither smooth nor free of setbacks. We must remain constantly alert to the problem, take appropriate action, and make sure that the time for equality comes sooner, rather than later."
"Eliminating discrimination at work is everybody's responsibility", Mr. Somavia says. "The State has the obligation of banning discriminatory practices and establishing sound laws and institutions and policies that promote equal opportunities at work. Employers and workers organizations, individually and together, should identify and combat discriminatory practices at the workplace. Most importantly, the voices of discriminated workers and employers need to be heard, no matter where they work."
The report was prepared as a follow-up to the adoption of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work by the International Labour Conference in 1998. The Declaration reaffirmed the constitutional principle of the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, thereby confirming the universal resolve to suppress discrimination in the world of work through the promotion of equal treatment and opportunity. The Declaration emphasizes that all ILO member States have an obligation to respect the fundamental principles involved, whether or not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.
-Note 1 - Time for Equality at Work - Global Report under the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at work 2003, International Labour Office, Geneva, 2003. ISBN 92-2-112871-7. Price: 20 Swiss Francs. Note 2 - Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 111), Article 1(1a)). As of May 2003, ratified by 158 of the ILO's 175 member States. The Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) has been ratified by 160 member States.