Employers and trade unions in Wexford are supporting a number of local initiatives for national anti-racism workplace week.
Managers and workers yesterday attended an anti-racism training day, and next week seminars and intercultural concerts will be held in a number of workplaces.
The formal launch of the week, which began nationally on Monday, is tomorrow at the Great Southern Hotel in Rosslare.
Ms Fiona English, the equal opportunities programme manager with Wexford Area Partnership, said it was felt the venue was appropriate because of local controversy over plans to accommodate asylum-seekers in the area.
Residents have maintained a 24-hour picket outside the former Devereux Hotel since April 8th in protest at a plan by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to use it as a reception centre for asylum-seekers.
At yesterday's event, attended by representatives of Iarnrod Eireann, anti-racism trainers Ms Shalini Sinha and Mr Willie Gleeson outlined what can be done to recognise and combat racism towards cultural minorities including Travellers.
"The issue of racism in the workplace is there whether people realise it or not," said Ms English. "People might not even be aware of it and might not think about what they are saying or what they are doing."
Yesterday's training event was designed to help participants cope with specific situations, such as how to react when they hear a racist remark. "If you're working and you see something going on beside you, it's not easy to stand up and be counted. Hopefully, in going through the training, people will learn how to deal with these situations as they arise," she said.
Further training is to be provided if the participants conclude that yesterday's experience was useful. Tomorrow's launch of anti-racist workplace week in Wexford is to be attended by the chief executive of the Equality Authority, Mr Niall Crowley, SIPTU president Mr Des Geraghty and Mr John Farrell of IBEC South-East.
More than 1,000 industry and community representatives have been invited, and a resource pack on racism will be distributed.