Equal Opportunity Act - COM Resolution

The VIEU Committee of Management notes that the Department of Justice is administering a review of the exceptions contained in the Equal Opportunity Act 1995. The Victorian government is to be congratulated for this initiative. COM recommends that a VIEU submission be prepared for this review that strongly supports the removal of the current discriminatory "religious exception" that allows non-government employers to avoid the obligation inherent in every other workplace to not discriminate against employees on the basis of their marital status, or sexual preference.

COM reinforces its commitment to the VIEU Statement of Values which states:

" that discrimination in all forms including that based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, disability marital status, sexual preference and political beliefs is unacceptable and should be opposed."
and...
that workplaces should be safe, secure, healthy and free of harassment, intimidation, violence and discrimination."

COM also congratulates the Victorian Government on the passing of the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. However we express our strong disappointment that the current definition of "public authority" in section 4 of the Act exempts non-government schools from its coverage. The Committee of Management seeks its removal. Religious schools receive government funding and are exercising an important government function with a public purpose, that of education, and should not be exempt from the obligations contained within this legislation to act without discrimination.

COM calls upon the government to ensure that the religious exception prescribed in the Equal Opportunity Act (1995) Vie does not cover any type of employee, including principals, RE co-ordinators, teachers and non teachers, who work in non-government schools in Victoria. In doing so, COM notes that although there are other areas where discrimination applies in schools such as the admission of students, the VIEU submission should only deal with the area of employment, that being of most relevance to our members.

COM calls upon the government to end the discrimination that is allowed to take place in non-government schools in Victoria against staff where the employer or religious authority deems that the employee or future employee is adopting a lifestyle that is against a religious doctrine or belief. This is unacceptable in a modern, democratic society where diversity and difference should be respected.