E-Quality is a regular e-bulletin for branch officers with an equality role. The bulletin gives an overview of equality developments in UNISON, in parliament and in the wider world. If there are any issues that you would like covered please email equality@unison.co.uk or write to UNISON Means Equality, 1 Mabledon Place, London, WC1H 9AJ

Equality Bill
The Bill which is welcomed by UNISON has now completed the committee stage, but there is still has a long way to go before it becomes law.  UNISON is calling on Members of Parliament (MP’s) to support the inclusion of equal pay audits, hypothetical comparators and representative actions in the Equality Bill.  These measures are crucial to preventing pay discrimination and delivering justice to women unfairly paid less than men.

What can you do?
It is really important that you contact your MP asking them to support the improvements to the Bill so that the gender pay gap can be addressed.

For more information on the Equality Bill can be found on the UNISON website www.unison.org.uk/equality

UNISON Equality Scheme
The branch guide to the UNISON Equality Scheme is now available, stock number 2772 or online at www.unison.org.uk/equality. This guide sets out how branches can make sure that equality is part of everything they do

Guide to Equality in UNISON
This guide gives an overview on UNISON’s work for equality in employment, in public services, across society and in our union. Stock number 2778, or online at www.unison.org.uk/equality

Employment Tribunals Lay Members
The TUC has recently been informed that the Employment Tribunal Service (ETS) is expecting to run a recruitment exercise for Employment Tribunal Lay Members during August and September 2009.

The ETS is keen to raise awareness of the recruitment campaign and to attract applications from individuals with relevant experience for the employee side.  They are particularly keen to encourage applications from groups who are currently under-represented on employment tribunal panels, including women, and members of the black and ethnic minority, disabled and LGBT communities.

Details of The TUC recruitment process and deadlines for applications will be circulated by the TUC as soon as they are available.  This will include information about how individuals can apply and how to access information about the process.

The TUC will also be running a briefing event for potential employment tribunal members on 2 September 2009, from 10am to 2pm at Congress House.  Information about this briefing and a registration form are attached.  The deadline for registering for the briefing is Friday 21 August 2009.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TUC PLAYS NO ROLE AT ALL IN THE NOMINATION OR SELECTION PROCESS.  PLEASE THEREFORE DIRECT ALL FUTURE ENQUIRIES TO THE EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL SERVICE

The application form can be downloaded via the UNISON website http://www.unison.org.uk/blackmembers/pages_view.asp?did=9157

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
The EHRC are to carry out a recruitment exercise for up to 8 Commissioners for the Commission.
Anyone who may be interested should obtain an information pack and an application form by telephoning 0870 240 3802 or by emailing info@apcomm.nhs.uk, quoting reference GEO9069.  Please note that the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 7 September 2009.

Youth Commission Consultation – report on votes at 16
(available at http://www.ycc.uk.net/publications/YCC%20-%20Final%20Report%20-%20July%202009.pdf).

UNISON backs the reduction of the voting age to 16 and is disappointed with the very cautious approach taken by the YCC. The Votes@16 coalition is meeting shortly to decide a response. UNISON will be meeting with the campaign to consider how to apply further pressure for the age reduction.

Apprentices to be covered by National Minimum Wage?
The Low Pay Commission has been asked by Government to examine whether apprentices should be covered by the National Minimum Wage. This is a step forward and UNISON will be submitting evidence to back our support for their inclusion. If you have evidence – including case study material – backing the minimum wage for apprentices, please send details to young.members@unison.co.uk

Consultation on the Right to Control
The Office for Disability Issues has launched a consultation to ask disabled people how they want to make choice and control a reality in their lives, the ODI says the Right to Control will be a major step towards achieving equality for disabled people by 2025.

The consultation, launched on 11 June, invites stakeholders to give their views on the best way to deliver the Right to Control.

The ODI is interested in particular about how support services should be delivered. These support services include finding or staying in work, home support (with cooking and getting dressed and the changes that are needed to make buildings more accessible to disabled people.

The ODI encourages responses from disabled people, their organisations, public bodies, commissioners and service providers. UNISON will be submitting a response that will reflect the views of our disabled members and our view of the impact on the workforce, particularly in local government and the voluntary sector. If you have views that you would like UNISON to consider as part of its response please send them to disabilityissues@unison.co.uk by Friday 28 August.

The consultation runs from 11 June - 30 September 2009.

Consultation on Right to Control (PDF, 78 pages, 3.71 MB)
Consultation on Right to Control - Easy Read (PDF, 92 pages, 2.12 MB)
Consultation on Right to Control - Rich Text version (RTF, 78 Pages, 220 KB)

Points Based Immigration System
The Home Office has introduced a points-based immigration system that is affecting Higher Education institutions and colleges. The system awards points to workers' from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) for skills that reflect experience, age. For the education sector the Home Office claims there are two main aims and objectives which are to reduce the number of illegal students and educational establishments and to keep a tight reign on who can enter the country and when.

UNISON has concerns at the impact these reforms will have on staff and workloads in applying the regulations as well as the potential adverse equality implications.   UCU, UNISON and the NUS are proposing to work together to campaign against these new reforms and it is possible that a joint seminar will be held in the autumn on these issues.

Branches are asked to complete a short online survey which will help in the development of the campaign. To complete the survey, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4U2G6CThRIZ9ppEYaYtOGQ_3d_3d

EHRC takes over takes action over potential breach of race discrimination law
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to the British National Party over possible breaches of anti-discrimination law. The Commission has demanded that the party address potential breaches related to its constitution and membership criteria, employment practices and provision of services to the public and constituents. For more, visit: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/bnp-commission-takes-action-over-potential-breach-of-race-discrimination-law/

First ever UK campaign challenging the demand for prostitution
The UK’s first campaign challenging the demand for prostitution was launched last month.

The Demand Change! Campaign, a joint initiative between women’s charity Eaves and human rights organisation OBJECT, aims to:

• Promote an increased understanding of the myths and realities surrounding prostitution;
• Call for prostitution to be seen and widely understood as a form of violence against women; and
• Lobby for adoption of the ‘Nordic model’, which tackles demand for prostitution, decriminalises those selling sexual acts and provides adequate resources to assist people to exit prostitution.

In 2008, UNISON National Women’s Conference endorsed support for this model of combating prostitution and urged the UK Government to adopt a similar policy, whilst recognising that for this to be effective there also needs to be increased investment in drug rehabilitation programmes, education programmes, and other support programmes to provide women with viable alternatives and a route out of the trade.

Women’s conference recognised that prostitution is a serious social ill, which affects hundreds of thousands of women and children, and perpetuates the negative gender stereotype of women as sex objects.

For more information, visit www.demandchange.org.uk

UK Black Pride
The 4th annual UK Black Pride Festival is being held on Saturday 15 August in London. UNISON is supporting this event, and both the LGBT and Black Members Committees are encouraging members to attend. Further details can be obtained from www.ukblackpride.org.uk

LGBT Network Days
Are you - or do you know - a Black or Disabled LGBT UNISON Member? In the lead up to the National LGBT Conference we are holding network days for Black (11 September) and Disabled (12 September) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members. Further details available at www.unison.org.uk/out or by contacting out@unison.co.uk

Retired Members - 13th - 14th October, Scarborough
The preliminary agenda containing motions is now out to all branches.  The deadline to register as a delegate is 7th August; the deadline to submit amendments is 19th August.

Disabled Members – 31st October – 2nd Nov, Blackpool
The preliminary agenda containing motions is now out to all branches.  The deadline to register as a delegate is 14th August, and the deadline to submit amendments is 4th September.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender - 20th – 22nd November, Cardiff
Forms for registration and the submission of motions have been issued to branches and are available on the UNISON website.

Black Members Conference – 22nd – 24th January 2010, Gateshead
Forms for registration and the submission of motions have been issued to branches and are available on the on the UNISON website.

Women’s Conference 18th – 20th February 2010, Gateshead
Forms for registration and the submission of motions have been issued to branches and are available on the UNISON website.  All branches are entitled to send at least one woman member, and the scheme of representation has now changed to allow the biggest branches - those with over 8000 women members - additional representation.  

Further information on all forthcoming events is available on the UNISON Website www.unison.org.uk/equality

Recruitment - Why is recruiting so important?
ItÕs all our responsibility to recruit. Organised workplaces with a high density of membership give UNISON greater influence with local management and employers.
Remember that it is particularly important to recruit young members if UNISON is to grow and be strong in the future.
'Nobody asked me!' That's the single biggest reason people give for not having joined a trade union.
And the best people to recruit new members are the UNISON members who work alongside them.
You can now get your friends and colleagues to join on online, go to the following link:
www.unison.org.uk/join

For more information on equality in UNISON, including contact points in your region, visit:
www.unison.org.uk/equality/index.asp

UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ
Tel 0845 3550845