A3-0151/94

Resolution on discrimination in the field of employment in Northern Ireland

The European Parliament,

-having regard to motion for a resolution B3-0629/92 by Mr Blaney and others on discrimination in access to employment in Northern Ireland,

-having regard to the study entitled 'The Directory of Discrimination. Northern Ireland 1991' by the Equality action group,

-having regard to sections 17 and 19 of the 1973 Northern Ireland Constitution Act, which ban discrimination on grounds of religious or political views,

-having regard to the provisions of the 1989 Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act,

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Employment and the Working Environment and the opinion of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A3-0151/94),

A.whereas British fair employment legislation has not succeeded in bringing about any substantial improvement in the unemployment situation of Northern Irish Catholics over the last 20 years,

B.whereas the Fair Employment Commission's monitoring reports clearly demonstrate that Northern Irish Catholics are at a severe disadvantage as regards their numbers in the labour force,

C.whereas Northern Irish Catholics are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as Protestants are,

D.whereas Catholics are more likely to suffer long-term unemployment,

E.whereas the unemployment differential - the ratio of Catholic and Protestant unemployment rates - is affected, in an arithmetical sense, by three factors (the proportion of the economically active population who are Catholic, the proportion of those in employment who are Catholic, and the overall rate of unemployment); whereas changes in any one of these factors resulting from relatively rapid population growth or emigration can alter the unemployment differential, so that the latter does not provide a meaningful indicator of progress towards employment equality,

F.whereas Northern Irish Catholics are significantly under-represented in executive jobs,

G.whereas this is true of both the private and the public sectors,

H.whereas the economic situation in Northern Ireland is extremely poor; whereas the region is undergoing a very severe economic crisis,

I.whereas it is also important and desirable that an overall reduction in unemployment be achieved,

J.whereas the political situation in the region - the lack of a solution to the Northern Irish problem - is a very heavy burden on the region's economic situation,

K.whereas terrorism has contributed to the serious unemployment situation in Northern Ireland over the last 25 years, particularly in those areas where the level of unemployment has traditionally been highest,

L.whereas the particular problems of the age structure and skills of the Northern Ireland workforce and the location of established industries make it extremely difficult to reduce the differential between Catholic and Protestant unemployment in the short term,

M.whereas the higher rate of unemployment among Catholics is a result of the interaction over time of a complex array of factors,

1.Welcomes the efforts made by the British Government to introduce anti-discriminatory legislation on employment;

2.Considers that this legislation is of a very high order;

3.Notes that anti-discrimination legislation over the last 20 years has not brought about any substantial improvement in the unemployment of Northern Irish Catholics;

4.Regrets the failure to set goals and timetables for the reduction of the unemployment differential which exists between the Catholic and Protestant communities;

5.Wishes existing legislation to be assessed by independent and international research units;

6.Notes that Northern Irish Catholics see the worldwide 'MacBride Principles' campaign as a great source of support in overcoming their problems and endorses the campaign's moral principles, but also acknowledges the argument that this campaign may lead to disinvestment in Northern Ireland;

7.Welcomes the Commission's assurance that money made available under the Structural Funds' Objective 1 will be deployed so as to support fair employment in Northern Ireland;

8.Is well aware that a political solution to the Northern Irish problem, to which both the Protestant and the Catholic sections of the Northern Irish population must subscribe, is a necessary precondition for a significant improvement in the economic situation in Northern Ireland, and therefore supports all efforts to encourage negotiations between Northern Irish political leaders and the British and Irish Governments;

9.Welcomes the current efforts to move towards a peaceful settlement in Northern Ireland;

10.Notes that the plans submitted for Northern Ireland for assistance under Objective 1 clearly recognize that resources must be targeted to those in greater need, whether Protestant or Catholic, and that the British Government intends to continue to ensure that all parts of the plans secure fair opportunities which, because of their particular economic situation, should assist the position of many Northern Irish Catholics;

11.Is convinced that a renewed and reinforced commitment by the British authorities to effective implementation of anti-discrimination legislation would constitute a major boost to the current talks and efforts for a peaceful settlement;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Irish and British Governments and political and church leaders in Northern Ireland.