Britain proposes affirmative action bill

Associated Press
By PAISLEY DODDS
LONDON (AP) — Is the end near for the English gentleman of privilege?
Britain has proposed an affirmative action bill meant to tackle thorny class divisions and encourage equal opportunities for women and minorities — a proposal already causing an uproar in some circles.
Under the proposed act, white male job applicants could lose out to women and minorities with equal qualifications, while private companies with 250 employees or more would be required to disclose salary discrepancies between male and female employees.
Although no date has been set for parliamentary debate, the Labour-led government hopes to push the bill through before next year's general election. The bill, which would collect a raft of anti-discrimination provisions in a single act, would likely fail under a Conservative-led government.
"The economies of the future that will prosper are the ones which are not blinkered, held back by old-fashioned hierarchies, by a sense of women knowing their place, by overlooking the talents and abilities of people on the basis of the color of their skin," Equalities Minister Harriet Harman said Monday when the bill was published.
Business leaders say the proposals are ill-timed, as industries grapple with the recession.
"This bill will discourage job creation and make employers fearful of the recruitment process," said David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce. "Coupled with the 50 percent tax rate, this sends a poor message about doing business in the UK."
The United States was one of the first countries to pass affirmative action legislation — measures originally designed encourage the hiring of blacks, who had been subject to large-scale discrimination. The programs were later extended to women and other minorities.
Britain's bill takes that one step further by addressing long-standing inequalities between the classes — divisions that go back centuries.

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