New Commission for Unity and Racial Equality laws designed to promote racial equality and remove racial discrimination in the workplace came into effect on Friday.

And Minister of Development, Opportunity and Government Services Terry Lister revealed employers have just two weeks to sign up -- or face fines of up to $1,000.

The Act affects all companies that have more than ten employees -- over 500 companies on the Island.

They will now have to take records of what kind of racial mix the company has in the work place.

This will mean that employers will have to fill in comprehensive forms about the ethnic make-up of their employees and submit them every year.

Recruitment, training, promotion and dismissals will now be put under the microscope and companies will have to prove that they are striving for racial equality in the workplace.

Mr. Lister held a Press conference in Hamilton announcing that the new CURE Act came into effect on Friday.

He said: "From today, as a notice in the Official Gazette will confirm, employers are required by law to help us collect data on the race of their employees and on their efforts to make sure they afford equal opportunity to all, regardless of race.

"From today, all businesses which employ ten or more people will be required to give CURE information on such practices as recruitment, training, promotion, transfers and dismissals.'' Mr. Lister added that the first monitoring of businesses would start on March 1, 2000, and that businesses would have to register with CURE by February 4, 2000.

He said: "We will be able to assess the Bermuda work force's racial composition, not only along industry lines but also in terms of the make-up of the work force according to the level of employment.'' Mr. Lister said that over time they would be able to analyse the flow of work force by race from entry into a particular business, progression up through the ranks and finally departure from the business.

"These statistics will be vital in assisting us to achieve our goal -- to ensure that the Bermuda work force at all its levels reflects the racial demographics of Bermuda,'' he said.

Currently Bermuda is made up racially of 60 percent black, 30 percent white and ten percent other races.

But Mr. Lister has consistently denied that CURE will mean racial quotas for businesses in Bermuda.

"The amendments passed by Parliament last year to the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality Act give CURE the authority to assist businesses with implementing special programmes in respect of employers who are shown to be lacking in their dedication to equal opportunity.

"These special programmes are essentially training and education packages which employers may introduce. Their purpose is to assist and encourage under-represented groups within the work force in the development of the necessary job skills which will help them in their advancement.'' Those companies who fail to comply with the requirements to register will face a fine of $1,000 and those who fail to provide information required by CURE can be fined $5,000.

"But we believe as a result of our experience with employer council groups thus far in the collection of these statistics that employers will cooperate.

So far, those we have dealt with have been very cooperative and supportive of our aims.'' The Minister also revealed that in the next few days an advertising campaign was due to begin. Mr. Lister said: "It will draw the attention of employers to their new responsibilities...'' Terry Lister BUSINESS BUC