Racism Report 2003 - Zara

Page 38 Cases: Work Racism Report 2003167168169170171172173B. was insulted and mocked on several occasions by a work colleague because of her French accent.Ms.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-ArbeitHer colleague also gave her the feeling that she was not wanted at work. Particularly when Ms. B. made mistakes inpronunciation or did not know a word she was laughed at. The ZARA counsellor arranged an appointment with Ms.B., her supervisor and her colleague. During this talk the colleague was informed that there would be consequences ifher behaviour did not change and if there were any more such insults. Ms. B. was very satisfied when she contactedher ZARA counsellor a few weeks later to say that there were now no longer any problems.S. is African and had recently found a job via an advertisement at the Employment Service workingMr.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitin a restaurant in the 9th district of Vienna. On the first day he worked from 11:00 until 23:00 and was also workingin the kitchen. In the evening the manager said he was satisfied with Mr. S.‘s work and he should come next day at10 o‘clock. Next day Mr. S. arrived as agreed but one of the cooks said that he was not detailed for work that dayand should leave. Mr. S. had the feeling that his colleagues in the kitchen were making jokes about him. When Mr.S. asked the manager why he was no longer needed he was told that he worked too slowly. However, Mr. S. hadthe impression that he had been rejected on racist grounds because he supposed that his colleagues had forcedthe manager not to employ a black person. The manager admitted that the staff had spoken to him after work theprevious day. Nevertheless, Mr. S. was never openly told that he was not wanted as a colleague because of his skincolour. ZARA counselled Mr. S. but he did not want to write a letter of complaint and wanted to have nothing moreto do with the restaurant.July 2003: an employee at the Marriot Hotel in Vienna informed the Forum that a colleague had said toher that Jewish weddings were pig weddings and that no waiter wanted to work at a Jewish wedding andit was difficult to find the staff.July 2003: the wife of an employee at the University of Music and Performing Arts informed the Forumthat there was a pianist there who accompanied students in the violin class and often made anti-Semiticstatements: „That wouldn‘t have happened under the Führer.“ He also often felt boycotted and disadvantaged by themany Jews active in the music world because he had no „Jewish relatives“, „the Jews have got their fingers in everypie“. This man had already been proposed to become a professor. The Forum contacted the university and asked for astatement. The Rector and the Vice-Rector both wrote that they would make every effort to prevent such occurrencesin future. The Rector also asserted that he had already fixed an appointment with the pianist to discuss the matter.Mr. O. from Nigeria works as a taxi driver. As he brought a passenger to a locale and told him the sum tobe paid, the passenger insulted him: „You Nigger, what do you want then?“ Despite explanations from Mr.O. about how the fare was made up according to the official rate he was further insulted and then punched on theupper lip by the passenger causing bleeding. Mr. O. called the police immediately who took the particulars of bothmen and assured Mr. O. that legal proceedings would now take their course. After some time Mr. O. contacted us.It then became apparent that the police had not recorded the incident and the details of the attack were thereforedifficult to prove since Mr. O. did not have a doctor‘s confirmation of the injury.A student from Russia translated a homepage for a businessman but received no payment for her work.She came to Helping Hands Graz to inform herself whether she is allowed to translate at all and whethershe had any legal recourse. We wrote to the employer with a demand for payment and this was made within aweek.For the employment situation for deaf sign language users in Austria, see the report of the WITAF-Arbeitsassistenz in the section „Reports of Individual Organisations“.