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Cases of discrimination in employment
Cases of discrimination in employment
1.
Almeria.
Employment.
Direct discrimination.
A non-Roma girl started working in a restaurant as a kitchen
assistant and signed a full-time employment contract extending to the end of season. She told the FSG that her
work mates were very happy with her work.
Not long after that, one of her work-mates discovered that her husband was Roma. From that moment on she
was treated differently, especially by the manager. They then changed her work schedule for no apparent reason
and informed her that instead of a full-time job she would only be working two hours a day.
In light of her need of work and to generate some income no matter how small, the girl, was prepared to sign
the new conditions of her contract, but then the manager told her that her services were no longer needed and
that her job was being given to her brother.
Soon after that the girl heard comments to the effect that the reason she was dismissed was that she refused
to accept the new contract conditions proposed.
2.
Granada.
Employment.
Direct discrimination.
An FSG employment programme beneficiary in Granada told us
that he has always had contact with Roma and lives in an area with a considerable Roma population although he
himself is not Roma. This man found a job as a warehouse worker and after five days of work his boss asked
him where he lived and he said in the north of Granada. The boss then told him that he was sorry, that he was
doing a pretty good job, but that his policy was not to work with anyone from that part of town and therefore
he could no longer work there. So, he had to leave that job and continue looking for work.
This is a clear case of discrimination by association. Discrimination by association is a type of discrimination that
people may suffer for their relationship with others.
3.
Huelva.
Employment.
Direct Discrimination.
Mobile trading on the beaches of Punta Umbria has always been
one of the main sources of income for many Roma families. However, FSG workers from Huelva reported that
the Town Hall, instead of helping families engage in this economic activity considering their economic situation
and the fact that they needed help with the necessary paperwork, they awarded these mobile trading services
to a company through a public tender process.
A local family affected by this measure complained that this was not fair; they had been selling goods on these
beaches for over 20 years and had contacted the Town Hall to get the necessary paperwork to continue enga-
ging in this activity. They also argued that they had no other source of income.
The families have not yet received any response.
4.
Huesca.
Employment.
Direct Discrimination.
The enterprise mediator from the FSG office in Huesca reported
that she visited a company in the laundry sector. When she made the appointment she identified herself as being
from the Acceder Employment Programme but once there she mentioned she worked for the Fundación Secre-
tariado Gitano. The manager who met her there exclaimed, “well we’re off to a bad start” and spoke of the bad
experiences he had had and said that he didn’t want to take any chances. The enterprise mediator explained the
objectives of the work the FSG does and invited him to think about how his attitude was adversely affecting
the Roma community, i.e. limiting their likelihood of finding a job. She also explained that potential workers could
not be held accountable for what other workers before them had done.
The laundry manager argued that he simply wanted a person who was willing to work. During the conversation
we discovered that his negative experience with the Roma community was actually limited to just two cases.
He said that in both cases the workers left their jobs claiming the work was too hard and they were tired. He
also mentioned that his experience with immigrant workers was not good either. He insisted that he tried to