Recession no excuse to ignore workers' rights

Workers are being urged to stand up for their rights through a new advertising campaign by Victoria's human rights watchdog.

The Your rights are recession proof campaign by the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission also serves as a reminder to employers to do the right thing by their workforce.

Commission Chief Executive Officer, Dr Helen Szoke said the campaign is especially relevant in difficult times.

"The impact of the Global Financial Crisis may mean that people feel afraid to complain in case they lose their jobs," she said.

"But the GFC does not give employers an excuse to sack or demote workers, deny them their rightful entitlements or overlook them for a job or a promotion. "Workers always have rights, including in tough economic times, and there's never a time or place when discrimination and victimisation is okay. It's always against the law."

Dr Szoke said that most of the complaints of discrimination handled by the Commission are in the area of employment, and many of those complaints involve disability, sex, race or age.

"We urge workers who feel they are being unjustly treated to speak up. Making a complaint can help you resolve discrimination and get on with your life.

"We encourage people to contact the Commission which is easily accessible through our telephone line and interpreter services. This is especially relevant to workers from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds who are often vulnerable to exploitation due to language difficulties," she said.

The advertisements will appear for six weeks in metropolitan, local and multicultural newspapers in languages including: English, Arabic, Persian, Somali, Punjabi, Turkish, Sudanese and Vietnamese.

For more information about the campaign visit: www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au