Stop-go policies of governments and employers from combating discrimination to promoting diversity

Since the European Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) came into force, government anti-discrimination policies have tended to be steered by political agendas. The five countries surveyed here – Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy and the UK – have introduced legislation and supervisory authorities as the tools for transposing the European Directive at a national level. From a management point of view, these tools show that the approach of tackling situations of racial discrimination in practice is evolving into the promotion of diversity through charters which employers’ organizations and businesses have been adopting to varying degrees since 2004. This article explains the benchmarks of government action in France and the employers’ initiatives which this has led to, adding examples drawn from the other European countries surveyed in order to shed light on specific aspects. The impact of the financial crisis on the struggle for equality is also examined.