U.N. study sees subtle discrimination

Source: International Business Times

By Bradley S. Klapper
Posted 10 May 2007

The disabled, gays and lesbians, and people living with HIV/AIDS are suffering from new and more subtle forms of workplace discrimination, the U.N. labor agency said Thursday.

Despite major advances in the fight against discrimination, gender, race and religion continue to determine how people are treated in the employment market and at the workplace, the International Labor Organization said in its flagship report on global working conditions.

Women are especially prone to labor discrimination, the ILO said in outlining only a mixed bag of success since the last installment of its "'equality at work"' series four years ago.

"'It's striking to see how everywhere in the world, irrespective of how rich or how poor a country is, or what type of political system it has, discrimination is there,"' said Manuela Tomei, author of the 127-page report. "'Discrimination is a never-ending story of human nature. But it's something that society can no longer tolerate."'

While more women are joining the work force around the world, they continue in every geographical region to be paid less than men for the same jobs, the report said.
(...)

Discrimination against gays and lesbians "'has only recently been recognized as intolerable"' by many nations, Tomei said, but noted that homosexuality remains illegal in over 75 countries, "'subject to corporal punishment and even the death penalty."'

The use of AIDS tests is "'extremely widespread"' in screening job seekers, despite laws specifically targeting the practice, Tomei said. "'Many people are subject to AIDS tests without even knowing it,"' she added. (...)

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The study, "Equality at work: Tackling the challenges", is available online at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@webdev/documents/publication/wcms_082607.pdf