Presented by Ajit Mehat

1
Challenges Facing Visible Minorities Toward a
Racism-Free Workplace 8th National Metropolis
Conference Vancouver - March 24, 2006

• Presented by Ajit Mehat
• Director General
• NATIONAL LABOUR OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE
• LABOUR PROGRAM
• HUMAN RESOURCES AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA

2
Outline

• Context
• Public policy framework for inclusion
• Employment Equity Act 1986 - 2006
• Scope
• Results
• Eliminating racism/racial discrimination in the
  workplace
• Government wide Canadas Action Plan Against
  Racism
• HRSDC-Labour Racism-Free Workplace Strategy
• Opportunities for further collaboration.

3
Socio-Economic Context

• Ageing population/potential labour
  shortages/enhance
• and import skills
• Increasing and younger visible minority and
• aboriginal population
• Need for prudent vigilance about racial
  cohesion
• Globalization/competition for capital and
  talent
• Productivity losses/under utilization

4
Public Policy Framework

• Inter Alia
• Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA)
• Official Languages Act
• Employment Equity Act (EEA)
• Multiculturalism Act

5
The Employment Equity Act

• The EE Act aims to
• Remove barriers to employment and upward mobility
  encountered by four groups Women, Visible
  Minorities, Persons with Disabilities and
  Aboriginal peoples.
• Enable special measures where warranted to
  address disadvantage.
• The EE Act requires employers to
• Consult with employee representatives to develop
  EE plan
• Conduct a workforce survey and a workforce
  analysis of representation of designated group
  members
• Review employment systems to correct disadvantage
• Report annually to the Minister of Labour on
  their workforce

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All Employers covered by the Employment Equity
Act in 2003
7
Employment Equity ActResults 1987-2003
8
Employment Equity Act Results 2003
R refers to the percentage representation of
the designated group. A refers to the
percentage workforce availability from the 2001
Census of Canada and the 2001 Participation and
Activity Limitation Survey. The total excludes
the Federal Contractors.
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Eliminating racism/racial discrimination in the
workplace

• Several indications of the need for action
• UN Special Rapporteur gaps between
  legislation/policies and practices
• CHRC increase in race-based complaints
• From 18 to 29 (2003 2004)
• Research studies
• Stats Can Ethnic Diversity Study 65 of VMs
  perceive racism in the workplace
• Several other research studies (K. Pendakur
  J.Reitz Galabuzi Conference Board CLC etc.)

10
Government Response to Challenges

• Government-wide Action Plan Against Racism,
  announced on March 21, 2005
• Commitment by four federal ministers
  (HRSDC-Labour CIC Justice Heritage)
• Plan fits with Canadian values of an inclusive
  society and shared citizenship
• Plan recognizes the changing demographics of
  Canada and the need to build a racism-free
  society for both social and economic reasons

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Racism-Free Workplace Strategy

• LABOURHRSDC is responsible for a federal
  workplace strategy to promote removal of barriers
  to employment and upward mobility for visible
  minorities and Aboriginal peoples
• provide information on the benefits of
  inclusion, the business case, exemplary workplace
  practices etc
• provide tools, training for employers
• assist employers to connect with community groups
  
• Desired outcome inclusive, welcoming workplace
  environment for all designated groups

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RFWS Designing the Strategy 2004-06

• Determine the needs
• engagement sessions across Canada with
  stakeholder organizations (with employer
  organizations, labour unions, civil society) to
  identify barriers
• research projects commissioned to
  academic/consultants on visible minorities and
  Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian labour market.
• Partner with Federal Departments and Agencies
• Public Service Human Resources Management Agency
  (PSHRMAC) for a strategy for federal Public
  service
• Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC)
  information on types of barriers through
  complaints
• Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) work
  thorough Metropolis for field research, outreach
  and conference
• National Film Board (NFB) marketing and
  training products

13
RFWS Delivering the strategy 2006-07

• Labour-HRSDC welcomes
• Feedback and input into the RFWS, policy
  development and program delivery.
• Independent and rigorous research findings and
  collaboration on research projects
• Cost-benefit analysis of racism-free workplaces
• Labour market outcomes
• Disaggregation of stereotypes and misconceptions
• Participation in upcoming Parliamentary review of
  EE Act
• Regional delivery of the RFWS (particularly
  involving partnerships and community outreach).