The Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall is calling for an independent investigation into racism within the municipal public service.
Racist incidents are too numerous and too rarely punished, denounced the elected officials of Ensemble Montreal on Wednesday.
“An independent external investigation will allow us to know the extent of racism and discrimination suffered by employees from diversity at the City of Montreal,” said the mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa. “By having a complete diagnosis, we can take the right actions and change the culture of the Montreal public service. »
The elected officials reacted to a survey by Le Devoir, which relayed the testimonies of many municipal employees who were victims of racist remarks or behavior. They complained about the way the City of Montreal handled their complaints.
Abdelhaq Sari, elected opposition member in Montreal-North, testified that he himself had been the victim of racist remarks from his superiors while working at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). He said he did not file a complaint to avoid repercussions on his career, a dilemma that many racialized employees face. “Racism and discrimination are everywhere,” he said.
Opposition elected officials also expressed their disappointment with the work of the Commissioner for the Fight against Racism and Systemic Discrimination, appointed two years ago. “It is clear that since his hiring more than two years ago, progress has not taken place as quickly as hoped,” argued Ensemble Montreal. The opposition denounces in particular the fact that the commissioner, Bochra Manai, has never published an “action plan” as planned. Instead, she prepared a list of “commitments.”
