The Centre for Indigenous People and Work (CIPW) is urging Labor to use this week's National Conference to commit to stronger workplace anti-racism laws, including a legal requirement for employers to take proactive steps to prevent racism.
The ALP's triennial National Conference, which began in Adelaide on Thursday, is expected to debate the party's draft national platform, reportedly including an anti-racism strategy.
CIPW says the party should go further by adopting a legal "positive duty" requiring employers to implement anti-racism policies, mandatory training, complaints procedures and national reporting standards. The organisation says the measures would mirror the Respect@Work reforms introduced to address workplace sexism.
The reforms were recommended in the Australian Human Rights Commission's (AHRC) 2024 National Anti-Racism Framework but have not yet been adopted.
"The evidence for the effectiveness of these reforms is clear, and a working model for positive duty already exists in the Respect@Work reforms," CIPW Assistant Director Joshua Gilbert said.
"Legislating anti-racism workplace measures would make a real difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers, and to workers of other cultural backgrounds, while boosting productivity and stimulating the economy."
CIPW argues the reforms would deliver economic as well as social benefits, citing estimates that racial discrimination costs Australia around three per cent of GDP each year.
Its Gari Yala 2 survey found Indigenous employees working in organisations with both anti-racism training and formal complaints procedures were significantly less likely to experience racism than those without the measures in place (40 per cent compared with 66 per cent).
Respondents in those workplaces also reported higher job satisfaction and were less likely to seek new employment.
However, only 21 per cent of respondents worked in organisations with both anti-racism training and complaints procedures, while 69 per cent reported having no workplace racism complaints procedure.
Mr Gilbert and CIPW Director Professor Nareen Young will present the case for the reforms at the LaborEngaged'26 fringe event on Thursday, arguing the conference presents an opportunity for the ALP to implement the AHRC's recommendations and improve outcomes for Indigenous workers and the broader workforce.
"But creating a legal requirement to have proactive anti-racism policies, training and procedures in place will make everyone safer," Professor Young said.
She argued the benefits of a positive duty would extend to workers of every cultural background across Australian workplaces, adding the Gari Yala 2 survey showed what had worked and where gaps remained in addressing racism experienced by First Nations employees.
"These measures can improve productivity and save the country billions in direct and indirect costs of racial discrimination," Professor Young said.
"So, they're not just good for workers, they're good for employers and for the economy too."
