McDowell calls for action on workplace racism

Clearing the way for the spouses of overseas nurses to be allowed work in the State has to be tackled as a matter of urgency, according to the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell.

Praising the contribution made by migrant labour to the success of the Irish economy Mr McDowell said: "I think it is wrong that somebody should come to Ireland as a Filipino nurse - work all the hours that God gave him or her in hospitals when his or her spouse is sitting at home effectively prohibited from participating in the Irish economy. Especially in the context of very high rents."

He said the issue which affects many of the 5,000 Filipino nurses working in Irish hospitals was "something that we have to face up to immediately and show a different face from Government on".

Mr McDowell was speaking following the launch of the fourth anti-racist workplace week by the Equality Authority. According to a report from the authority, complaints on race grounds have now supplanted gender as the largest single complaint.

The Equality Authority said 33.6 per cent of all cases concerned race while 26.2 per cent related to gender. More than two per cent of all cases concerned discrimination against travelers.

Mr McDowell said one of the most compelling arguments for employers to implement anti-racism measures in the workplace was that there were "positive, measurable, economic benefits to having an anti-racist anti-discrimination approach in the workplace".

He pointed out there were "subtle forms of racism in the workplace" that he wanted to challenge. One of these is a favouritism displayed by employers who assume "native Irish employees" are more deserving of time off, or should be more accommodated for family occasions.

"The notion that immigrant workers are less likely to have family ties and therefore end up doing the longer hours" is something we have to be on our guard for, even though it might be done unconsciously and unthinkingly, he said.

The Equality Authority said along with support from the social partners, more than 240 business have pledged to run an anti-racist workplace.