CIVIL servants and big businesses are to be targeted in an anti-sectarianism drive that will seek to address so-called "pin-striped bigotry".

Campaigners say it is vital to take the message of what is and what is not acceptable into the country’s corridors of power and commercial centres and to dismiss the idea that “Scotland’s shame” is a problem confined to the football terraces.

The anti-sectarian charity Nil By Mouth says staff at banks and other financial institutions, as well as legal firms, local authorities, and smaller businesses will be included in its education campaign.

Workshops, which have been developed over the past two years, will challenge sectarian attitudes in the workplace and give employers guidance on how to identify and deal with any problems of religious bigotry, which are either subtle or disguised as banter.

The charity is also keen the Scottish Government, which has taken the lead in addressing sectarianism after problems surrounding Celtic and Rangers earlier this year, makes the symbolic move of leading from the front and becomes among the first employers to commit to the training.

Nil By Mouth intends to roll out its Beyond Religion and Belief programme in the coming weeks free of charge, almost 16 years after the murder of Glasgow schoolboy Mark Scott prompted the founding of the organisation.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has already offered to help the charity tailor its workshops to its membership, while the Catholic Church has welcomed the widening out of the sectarian debate to the world beyond football.

The plans come as former Strathclyde assistant chief constable and newly elected Labour MSP Graeme Pearson urged the Government to delay legislation to tackle bigotry within football by a year to give clubs time to get to grips with the issue.

David Scott, Nil By Mouth’s spokesman, said: “It’s too comfortable and convenient to see sectarian behaviour as something confined to football, heavy industry or something people engage in when they are drunk.

“The truth is that it cuts right the way across Scottish society, as much in our boardrooms as it is in our building sites.

“Over the years we have received a growing number of requests for advice and assistance from employers and staff, across a range of professions. In some instances we’ve spoken with employers who haven’t acknowledged or been aware they’ve a problem when in fact some of their staff have told us in confidence that there was.

“The programme will be available free of charge and we are writing to public and private-sector employers, chambers of commerce, trade unions, the FSB, charities, banks and financial institutions encouraging them to sign up.”

A recent study commissioned by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, found sectarian prejudice had taken on a “more subtle and disguised form” and said firms should be legally required to monitor sectarian incidents at work. It also found that the targets of abuse were sometimes blamed by bosses and colleagues “for their lack of a sense of humour” and found claims of sectarianism from the finance sector to the building industry.

No-one from the Church of Scotland was available but a spokesman for the Catholic Church said: “Any change of emphasis by anti-sectarian organisations, which reflects the fact that over 10 years of such programmes we have seen sectarian offences rise, is to be welcomed. Clearly, football, which accounts for around 15% of convictions for religious aggravated crimes, is not at the heart of this problem.”

Colin Boreland, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We’ve come a long way in the west of Scotland in recent years and don’t believe it’s as prevalent as it once was but there’s no room for complacency and businesses would want the right support in addressing this.

“We’ll be speaking with Nil By Mouth to discuss the format, get businesses through the door and make it relevant to them.”

CBI Scotland’s assistant director, David Lonsdale, said: “Employers recognise that discrimination on religious, race, gender or other grounds in the workplace cannot be tolerated, that it is bad for business and against the law. Firms have policies and practices in place to promote equality and diversity in the workplace and could well be open to any new or practical advice that is available.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “As an employer, we are committed to eliminating all aspects of unlawful discrimination and to ensuring our employment policies and practices support this commitment. We welcome the opportunity to work with all partners, including Nil By Mouth, to address all discrimination issues.”