Plaintiffs claim hostile work environment for Black public servants, say 'state-sponsored discrimination is not acceptable'
A group of 45,000 people who worked for the government dating back to 1970 are suing the federal government for discrimination, according to a report.
On Monday, a Federal Court in Toronto kicked off the certification hearing to determine whether a group of Black public servants can proceed with their class-action lawsuit, according to a report from the Canadian Press (CP).
The plaintiffs are seeking $2.5 billion in damages for lost salaries and pensions, according to the report.
"Today, we are escalating tactics," said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, outside the courthouse, according to the CP report.
"State-sponsored discrimination is not acceptable."
More than half (51%) of racialized people in Canada aged 15 years old or older have experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in the past five years, according to a previous report from Statistics Canada (StatCan).
What are the issues of discrimination Black workers face in Canada?
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the federal government claim that there is widespread discrimination in the public service, according to the CP report posted on CTV News.
They cited reports of anti-Black racism at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and an internal report on discrimination at the Privy Council Office.
Black public servants are facing hostile work environments, they said, according to the report. There is also under-representation of Black employees in senior roles, and many have been systematically denied opportunities for hiring and promotion due to their race, according to the report.
The plaintiffs could have brought individual concerns to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the federal government has said, according to the report.
The certification hearing could last up to 12 days.
Previously, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) made changes in response to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS) findings that racism is rampant within the commission.
The TBS found that discrimination and systemic racism occurred at the CHRC.
A report published in June noted that the United Nations’ oversight body will be investigating the CHRC following reports that the Canadian body has discriminated against Black and racialized workers.