ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of equality and helps to define what is meant by the term. The Commission for Equality and Human Rights produced a triennial review on inequality, which stated that: some groups with low employment rates have done badly over the long term, especially those pushed to the margins of the labour market. The heavier jobs such as driving forklift trucks and lifting and carrying bulk items tend to be done by male employees. The 'white collar' part of the operation has mostly men in management positions and women doing admin/secretarial work. An equality approach might require individuals to be treated on an individual merit basis rather than on some other basis. The problem with a merit-based approach, of course, is that it can be subjective rather than objective, and is likely to be measured against the conventional norms of society, which tend to be those of the dominant group - white males.
