Jobs bias persists in North

DESPITE more than 15 years of efforts to iron out segregation in Northern Ireland workplaces, a new survey shows that more than 250 sizeable businesses still have wholly or overwhelmingly single-religion workforces.
The data, collected compulsorily from firms with more than 25 workers under recent fair employment legislation, reveals that 267 companies out of 1,800 had workforces made up of more than 95 per cent of one religion or another.
Fifty eight employ only Protestants, while 107 had workforces which were more than 95 per cent Protestant. Meanwhile 38 firms employed only Catholics, and the employees of another 64 were more than 95 per cent Catholic.
Experts in Northern Ireland believe that companies excluded from the survey — ie those with fewer than 25 employees — are likely to show even more marked imbalance.
The figures show that although Catholic representation has increased in some employment sectors, many enterprises remain Protestant preserves.
• DEMOCRATIC Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley said this week that the Brooke talks were "well and truly dead".
At a meeting in Moneyslane, Co Down, Mr Paisley said: "this talks process must now be buried and its passing mourned. There is no point pretending it is still struggling to survive and will be revived."
Mr Paisley said the talks had been "strangled" by the Irish government.