Thompson Takes Canada to the United Nations Over Anti-Black Racism
- Sep 28, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
September 28, 2022 — Ottawa — Human rights advocate Nicholas Marcus Thompson brings the struggle of Black workers in Canada’s public service to the international stage today, filing a complaint with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism and calling for international scrutiny of systemic anti-Black discrimination within Canada’s federal institutions.
Speaking at a press conference at the Parliamentary Press Gallery, Thompson announced the submission alongside allies from civil society, labour organizations, and politicians. The complaint asks the United Nations to examine allegations of systemic discrimination affecting Black workers across Canada’s federal public service.
Thompson serves as Executive Director of the Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS) and is the lead plaintiff in the historic Black Class Action lawsuit against the Government of Canada.
The complaint asks the UN Special Rapporteur to review evidence of systemic discrimination affecting Black workers and to engage the Government of Canada on its obligations under international human rights law.
At the centre of the submission is the ongoing Black Class Action lawsuit, which challenges systemic discrimination across federal departments and agencies. The case represents tens of thousands of current and former Black public service workers who allege barriers in hiring, promotions, and workplace treatment.
By bringing the issue before the United Nations, Thompson places Canada’s response within the broader framework of its international commitments to combat racism and uphold human rights.
The complaint received support from a coalition of civil society and labour organizations raising concerns about anti-Black racism within federal institutions.
Amnesty International Canada supported the initiative and emphasized the importance of international oversight when systemic discrimination is alleged within state institutions.
Labour leaders also voice concern about the experiences of Black workers in the public service. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) joined calls for accountability and reform.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, spoke about the need to address systemic discrimination affecting Black public service workers.
For Thompson, the complaint to the United Nations forms part of a broader strategy to pursue justice through both litigation and international advocacy.
The Black Class Action lawsuit challenges systemic discrimination across dozens of federal departments and agencies and represents one of the largest employment discrimination cases in Canadian history.
The complaint filed today places the experiences of Black workers in Canada before the international community and signals a growing demand for structural reform within federal institutions.
For the tens of thousands of workers represented in the Black Class Action, the submission represents a call for accountability that extends beyond Canada’s borders and into the global human rights system.
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