Racial discrimination in workplace tops complaints dealt with by ERC

Since becoming operational last year, the investigative department of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has dealt with nearly 50 complaints and the single largest number concerned alleged racial discrimination in the workplace.

In a statement issued on Friday, the ERC revealed that its investigative department, which became operational on April, 24th, 2018, dealt with 13 complaints of racial discrimination at the workplace, eight complaints of religious discrimination, eight complaints of economic marginalisation, six complaints of political issues, four complaints of racial discrimination on a social media platform, two complaints of racial discrimination by a government agency, three complaints of racial discrimination in a public place, one complaint of racial discrimination by a private company and two labour related complaints.

The ERC also provided the ethnic composition of the complainants, 50 per cent of whom were AfroGuyanese, 34 per cent Indo-Guyanese, six per cent Portuguese, and four per cent Amerindians, while the remaining six per cent were persons whose ethnicity were not known.

The statement revealed that the investigative department resolved 18 of the complaints, inclusive of complaints that were made by Members of Parliament, by June 30th, 2019.

In addition, the statement noted that 58 per cent of the complaints received were from Region Four, while 18 per cent were received via social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp. Additionally, it noted that 34 per cent of the complaints were made against Afro-Guyanese and IndoGuyanese, 25 per cent were against government agencies, which includes Regional Democratic Councils and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, and 21 per cent were against private agencies.

Further, the statement also disclosed that the commission has enlisted a Legal Officer to handle the legal requirements in all cases.

“The Commission has taken this step to inform the public that anyone found guilty under the Racial Hostility Act, Chapter 23:01 (as amended in the Racial Hostility (Amendment Act) of 2002), shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of $250,000.00 and imprisonment for three (3) years. Correspondingly, anyone found guilty under the Representation of the Peoples (Amendment) Act, Chapter 1:03 shall be liable to conviction on indictment to a fine of $100,000.00 together with imprisonment for two (2) years,” the release added.

Under Article 212 D of the Constitution, the ERC’s mandate includes investigating complaints from citizens across the country where acts of alleged ethnic discrimination have been committed. It is also mandated to enforce the Racial Hostility Act and the Representation of the Peoples (Amendment) Act, among other things.