Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
Below are select introductory materials on racial, ethnic, caste and origin discrimination. Further reports from a wide range of sources are in the "Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination" section of our site.
- Key international standards
- Key reports & guidance
- Concerns, company responses & non-responses
- Positive steps by companies
- Lawsuits regarding racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination
Key international standards
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: articles 2 and 7
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: Concluding Observations: India (1996): paragraph 14
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: article 2
Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, UN General Assembly Resolution 47/135 (1992): articles 2.1, 3, and 4
Key reports & guidance
Equality at work: Tackling the challenges - Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work [PDF], International Labour Organization, 2007
Race to the top: the place of ethnic minority groups within the UK workforce [PDF], Business in the Community, Dec 2008
The Glass Box: Exclusion of Roma from Employment [PDF], European Roma Rights Centre, Feb 2007 (see in particular chapter 2.2, pgs. 26-28, "Employers")
Subtle Yet Significant: The Existence and Impact of Everyday Racial Discrimination in the Workplace, Loyola University in New Orleans, 2003
Human Rights Translated: A Business Reference Guide [PDF], OHCHR, IBLF, UN Global Compact & Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at Faculty of Law, Monash University, Dec 2008 (scroll down to page 77: “Article 26: Right to equality before the law, equal protection of the law, and rights of non-discrimination”)
The Ambedkar Principles: Principles and Guidelines to address Caste Discrimination in the Private Sector, IDSN (International Dalit Solidarity Network), Sep 2009
Concerns, company responses & non-responses
The Resource Centre invites companies to respond to allegations of misconduct. Below are examples of allegations and company responses regarding racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination. We also indicate when a company has not responded.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Amnesty International report finds employment discrimination, raises concerns about access to mass grave sites, Feb 2006. Responses from Aluminij, Mittal Steel.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Amnesty Intl. writes follow-up letter to Aluminij, regarding Aluminij’s response to Amnesty’s report on ethnic discrimination in employment, Jun 2006. No response received from Aluminij.
Positive steps by companies
France: Financial firms including BNP Paribas, Société Général take steps to diversify workforce.
Namibia: Old Mutual in Namibia's largest black economic empowerment deal.
Spain: Grupo Siro signs agreement to hire workers from the ethnic gypsy minority. [Spanish only]
USA: Companies support renewal of voting rights law for minorities - including CBS.
Vietnam: UNICEF and IKEA project supports education for ethnic minorities.
Lawsuits regarding racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination
Apartheid reparations lawsuits (re So. Africa)
Coca-Cola lawsuit (re racial discrimination in USA)
Cracker Barrel (part of CBRL Group) settled in 2004 a lawsuit alleging discrimination against black customers & employees. In 2006 Cracker Barrel reached an agreement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to pay workers to resolve another sexual & racial discrimination lawsuit.
Rio Tinto lawsuit (re Papua New Guinea)
Slavery reparations lawsuit (re USA)
Sweatshop labour lawsuit (re Bolivian migrant workers in Argentina)
Historias y componentes discutidos en las áreas detalladas
Autor(a): Molly Moore, Washington Post
Gerald Roffat, an intern at one of the world's largest temporary agencies [Adecco], helped launch a lawsuit alleging the firm used code to identify blacks and prevent them from being hired at some of Paris's best-known companies...The clients that...
- También se encuentra en: France: Lawsuit against employment agency Adecco alleges it "rated" job applicants by race in 2000 - clients that refused to accept black employees include hotels, restaurants, department stores
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Adecco Group Walt Disney
Autor(a): Amnesty International
...[Discrimination] continues to be one of the most serious obstacles to the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). This report focuses on the continuing discrimination against workers from ethnic minorities, including in equal...
- También se encuentra en: Bosnia & Herzegovina: Amnesty Intl. report finds widespread employment discrimination is obstacle to return of refugees - refers to Aluminij, New Ljubija Mines (joint venture Mittal Steel & RŽR Ljubija)
- Áreas detalladas: Bosnia & Herzegovina NGO Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Aluminij ConocoPhillips DaimlerChrysler (now Daimler) Fiat (part of Fiat Chrysler) Glencore Mittal Steel (part of Arcelor Mittal) Norsk Hydro Vitinka
Autor(a): Amnesty International
Aluminij claims that “[n]ot a single employee in Aluminij d.d. Mostar has been fired regardless to her/his nationality”. In fact, during the war Aluminij pursued a policy of ethnic discrimination, the effects of which continue to be felt, and elements...
- También se encuentra en: Bosnia & Herzegovina: Amnesty Intl. report finds widespread employment discrimination is obstacle to return of refugees - refers to Aluminij, New Ljubija Mines (joint venture Mittal Steel & RŽR Ljubija)
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Aluminij
Autor(a): Josephine Hearn, The Hill [USA]
When the Voting Rights Act (VRA) came before Congress this month, it enjoyed the vigorous backing of civil-rights advocates, social progressives and other familiar groups. The measure also attracted support from a surprising constituency: corporate...
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: AT&T CBS Coca-Cola Comcast Eli Lilly Freddie Mac PepsiCo Pfizer Tyco Verizon Walmart Walt Disney
Autor(a): Katrin Bennhold, International Herald Tribune
…members of ethnic minorities…are still a rare sight in [French] management positions and higher-profile jobs that routinely bring them into contact with customers. But now something is happening in the whitest of white-collar sectors: the largest...
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Adecco Group AXA BNP Paribas Société Générale
Autor(a): BBC
South African bank Old Mutual is to sell $42.8m (£22.6m) worth of assets to black Namibians in the country's largest economic empowerment deal. The finance firm will transfer shares in insurance and banking operations to employees, business consortia,...
- También se encuentra en: Old Mutual in Namibia's largest black economic empowerment deal - sells $42.8m of assets
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Nedbank Old Mutual
Autor(a): Caboodle News
Discrimination in the workplace in Hungary is among the highest in Europe, and mainly the older generations have to face serious problems, writes a recent report by human resources consulting firm Kelly Services...On February 1, 2005, the Equal...
- También se encuentra en: Kelly Services' workplace discrimination survey of 70,000 people in 28 countries finds increasing age discrimination
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Kelly Services
Autor(a): Johann Earle, Stabroek News [Guyana]
Poor working conditions and breaches of safety and health regulations were complained about yesterday at Bai Shan Lin's wood processing operations at Coomacka in Region Ten...During a visit by the media, workers bitterly complained of harsh treatment...
- También se encuentra en: Guyana: Alleged safety & labour abuses by Chinese-owned wood processing factory
- Áreas detalladas: African region Chinese investment overseas Extractives, including oil and mines Labour - an introduction Labour issues Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction Violence & Abuses
- Empresas relacionadas: Baishanlin International Forest Development BUCC International Wood Industrial
Autor(a): Ron Derby, Bloomberg
Sasol Ltd., the oil company that helped shield the apartheid regime from sanctions, will sell $3.2 billion of shares to black investors in South Africa's largest redistribution of wealth since the end of white-minority rule. Sasol, meeting a government...
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: Sasol
Autor(a): Vanessa O'Connell, Wall Street Journal
When Gareth Penny became De Beers Group's chief executive in 2006, the world's biggest diamond producer was mired in some of the worst crises… Rapper Kanye West's "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" in 2005 and the movie "Blood Diamond" in 2006 were...
- Áreas detalladas: Racial/ethnic/caste/origin discrimination - an introduction
- Empresas relacionadas: De Beers (part of Anglo American)