Almost £1 million was paid out in compensation for job discrimination last year in Northern Ireland, the Fair Employment Commission reports. It also notes a "marked improvement" in the number of Catholics in the workforce. During 1996/97, the Fair Employment Tribunal concluded 67 complaints through negotiated settlements and findings involving £971,296, the highest compensation figure to date.
Most settlements favoured Catholics, although a number of Protestants received compensation for job discrimination.
Mr Bob Cooper, head of the FEC, said that on the 21st anniversary of the enactment of fair employment legislation, progress in breaking down employment discrimination was evident. The situation had particularly improved since legislation was strengthened in 1990, which also marked the formation of the FEC, he added.
Although "there was a long way to go", there was a marked improvement in Catholic representation since then. The Catholic share of the workforce now stood at 38.1 per cent, an increase of 3.2 per cent over that period.
"Since there has been an increase of about 2 per cent in the proportion of Catholics in the labour force during this same period, this means that the relative position of Catholics in employment has improved by approximately one percentage point. This is a significant but modest increase. Any less would suggest that fair employment legislation had been totally ineffective," Mr Cooper said.
"The position of Catholics in the labour market continues to improve, but there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that progress for Catholics has been the result of shifting disadvantage to the Protestant community," said Mr Cooper.
"Indeed, the widespread introduction of properly planned recruitment practices required by the fair employment legislation has significantly benefited those members of the Protestant community who were formerly disadvantaged by not having family or other influences available to assist them in obtaining employment," he added.
Mr Cooper said no one could be complacent about discrimination. "The problems of inequality in employment are complex and in addressing them the burden cannot fall solely on employers. The FEC has always argued for a two-pronged attack: well-enforced fair employment action allied to well-funded government measures directed at areas of high unemployment and social disadvantage." "There remain too many areas in Northern Ireland, both Protestant and Catholic, where talk of fair employment can invite the response, `what employment?' In an expanding economy, and there can only be an expanding economy if outside investors are satisfied that there is a policy of employment equity, all in Northern Ireland can benefit and can look forward to the 21st century with confidence," said Mr Cooper.
