Equality Bill announcement

Stakeholder response:



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Dianah Worman, diversity adviser, said: "Legislation has functioned as an important lever for change in many organisations, and plays an important role in tacking unfair discrimination but we know employers get confused if they don’t understand what the law is trying to achieve.

"A Single Equalities Bill offers an opportunity to simplify and clarify the plethora of different legislation affecting equality and diversity.  It also offers an opportunity to break down the false hierarchies that have grown up between different forms of discrimination.

"Understanding what diversity is and why it is important to business performance is vital. Just fulfilling legal requirements and ticking boxes is not enough. CIPD research shows that it is understanding and acting on the business case that differentiates the leaders and the followers in good diversity practice.

"With the prospects of a recession on the horizon, organisations need to get much smarter at implementing diversity strategies which engage employees to contribute to business success.  Paradoxically there is a danger that an economic downturn could distract employers from paying attention to the very things that could help them to be more successful in developing a more competitive edge."

Stakeholder response: Help the Aged

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Paul Cann, director of policy, said: "Harriet Harman is today going to make a speech about the Equalities Bill. Gordon Brown has also already talked about the Equalities Bill sending a clear message that prejudice is no longer acceptable in 21st century Britain.

And let’s not forget, the prime minister's conference speech promised an end to discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, age or faith.  It’s time for speeches to turn into actions – actions that actually mean older people have equal rights.

"At the moment, older people are effectively treated as second-class citizens - outside the workplace, it is still perfectly legal to discriminate against people because of their age. This is disgraceful. If the government really wants a 'fairer' Britain, the Equalities Bill must include legislation to outlaw ageism.

"Harriet Harman and other cabinet ministers have the power to outlaw age discrimination and nearly three-quarters of the electorate want it to happen. It’s high time the government stopped talking about equality – and actually delivered it."

Stakeholder response: GMB



To send a comment to GMB click here

"We welcome the announcement from the minister for equalities. However, the labour market is characterised by 'structural discrimination' and given that employment is the best way out of poverty, the minister should extend equality legislation to the private sector in the Equalities Bill."