Migrants, minorities and employment : exclusion, discrimination and anti-discrimination in 15 member states of the European Union (en)

FOREWORD The material in this report is a unique collection of evidence on employment disadvantage, discrimination and exclusion of migrants and ethnic minorities in 15 countries of the EU. It appears during the year when the two Council Directives u0096 the Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive - are due to be transposed into the legislation of Member States. The evidence of this report stands as a counter to anyone who until now considered the Equality Directives to be unnecessary, by documenting incidents and types of employment discrimination across the EU, and providing an insight into the processes of exclusion. It also highlights examples of u0091good practicesu0092 in the area, carried out by governments, employers, trade unions, NGOs and migrant organisations, and finishes with selected recommendations for the EU and its Member States. Tackling discrimination at work is important, not only for reasons of social cohesion and social justice, but also because it makes good business sense, and now, increasingly, because the law will require it. European employers are increasingly realising that discrimination is bad for business. It leads to low morale and motivation, lower productivity, workplace tensions, higher labour turnover, and difficulties in recruitment. On the other hand, the benefits of diversity and a properly managed diverse workforce are also clear, with companies more able to take advantage of newly varied markets and provide better and more culturally-sensitive products and services. In June 2003 the European Commission launched a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of discrimination in Europe. I hope that this report will contribute to this process, and play its part in helping to heighten public and official awareness on issues of discrimination in the employment sector. The data for this report was assembled for the EUMC by its RAXEN National Focal Points in each of the 15 Member States. The EUMC then invited the International Centre for