The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed every year on March 21 to bring our attention to the ongoing efforts to fight racial biases and the negative impact it has on our lives.
This year’s focus is on the midterm review of the International Decade for People of African Descent, building on a deeper understanding of the progress made and exploring additional measures to combat racial discrimination affecting Black communities outside of Africa.
While discrimination affects various ethnic communities in different ways, the Black community is often more at risk of experiencing discrimination in society and in the workplace.
In Canada, while we are generally an open and welcoming society, we are not immune against racial biases. The results from the 2019 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) back this up by showing how the issue is still prevalent in the federal public service, revealing that various minority groups still continue to report facing racial discrimination and racism in the workplace.
There is still much work to be done to achieve a fair and equitable workplace for all. We will continue supporting and defending the rights of our members.
Today we call on all our members to continue actively promoting diversity and equality in the workplace. Those are values that we hold dear to our hearts and we must all do our part to help eliminate racism and racial discrimination in every sphere of our lives.
