Morrison’s Religious Discrimination Bill Enables Workplace Discrimination
The Federal Government continues to polarise and disenfranchise the rights of IEU members who work in faith-based schools.
On 25 November 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021. This is the third attempt by the Federal Government to amend religious discrimination legislation
Do not be misled by the name of this Parliamentary Bill nor the rhetoric that accompanies its propose legislation. This proposed legislation is purported to be protecting people from discrimination, instead it provides employers with new rights to discriminate.
The Religious Discrimination Bill 2021, if accepted will :
- Privilege the rights of religious organisations over individual employees’ beliefs, even where their beliefs or activities have no relevance to their job.
- Act as a mechanism to discriminate against IEU members who raise complaints, seek assistance, or take other action in their workplace to stand up for their own rights or the rights of others
- Allow religious bodies – schools, hospitals, aged care facilities and accommodation providers – to hire, fire or promote any worker based on their religion, regardless on their attributes for the job.
- Protect people who make discriminatory religious statements of belief, even if they are offensive, inappropriate, and harmful.
Read More: IEU Speaks Morrisons religious discrimination bill