Survey data links anti-racism strategy measures to safer jobs
Workplaces with both anti-discrimination training and a racism complaints procedure report lower rates of racism for Indigenous employees, according to data cited in calls for Labor’s anti-racism strategy to include national workplace measures.
The Centre for Indigenous People and Work said the Federal Government should adopt recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2024 National Anti-Racism Framework as Labor develops the anti-racism strategy ahead of its national conference this month.
Those recommendations include a “positive duty”, a legal requirement for employers to have anti-racism policies and procedures in place, as well as mandatory anti-racism training and national standards for reporting racism in the workplace.
Gari Yala 2 findings
CIPW’s national Gari Yala 2 (Speak the Truth) survey of 1,158 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers found 40% of Indigenous employees in workplaces with both measures experienced racism, compared with 66% in workplaces with neither.
The same group was more likely to be very satisfied with their job, 33% compared with 22%, and less likely to be looking for a new employer within the next year, 24% compared with 38%.
Only 21% of Indigenous workers were employed by an organisation with both measures in place, while 69% worked for organisations with no racism complaints procedure at all.
CIPW Director Professor Nareen Young said: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers have told us, in their own words, what makes workplaces safer.”
Professor Young said a national anti-racism strategy that left out positive duty, mandatory training, complaints procedures and reporting standards for workplaces would miss a major chance to reduce racism.
CIPW said the outcomes align with recommendations 10, 19, 20 and 25 of the AHRC framework. It also pointed to an estimate that racial discrimination costs Australia 3% of GDP each year.
Professor Young said: “This is a chance for government to act on evidence it already has.” Labor’s national conference is due this month, but no start date for any workplace measures was specified.
