Black members news
Something I love about being a UNISON activist is UNISON’s self-organisation, including self-organisation for Women members, Black members, Disabled members, LGBT+ members; and there are the Young Members and Retired Members Forums and the Migrant Workers’ Network. Being in the Black LGBT+ Network and involved in Black Members’ self-organisation means I can bring the whole […]
South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) is still in its infancy – members of the South Asian community organised the concept launch of the first South Asian Heritage Month event in July 2019 at the House of Commons, with the first event taking place in July 2020. Unlike most commemoration months, SAHM takes place across two Western […]
UNISON Black Members are proud to promote and celebrate South Asian Heritage Month. This runs from 18th July to 17th August. The significance of these dates lies in South Asian history and the struggle for de-colonisation. On 18th July 1947, the Indian Independence Act 1947 gained royal assent from King George VI (father of the […]
Our Motions The National Black Members’ Committee submitted two motions to National Delegate Conference (NDC). Motion 4 – Equality is UNISON Business Motion – 52 – The Cost of Living Crisis and Black Workers If you are attending conference, please think about speaking on these important motions. The full text of each motion can be […]
The scapegoating of refugees and migrants – spearheaded by Suella Braverman’s talk of the ‘invasion’ of Southern England by ‘illegal immigrants’, and her ‘obsession’ with deporting refugees to Rwanda – is opening the door to the far right. We have seen distressing scenes of violent attacks on asylum seeker accommodation by far-right activists. HOPE not […]
Many members will be aware that Nelson Mandela was an honorary member of UNISON. In his lifetime he received over 260 awards including the Nobel Peace Prize. To honour his achievements, the National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC) present the Nelson Mandela Award each year to a Black member who has gone above and beyond. If […]
In the joint submission of the Northern Ireland Council for Racial Equality and the APG on Ethnic Minority Community to Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on the experience of minority ethnic and migrant people in Northern Ireland, we highlighted the fact that disparities and inequalities do persist. Racism and discrimination remain a factor in shaping people’s […]
UNISON were delighted to be joined by Chris Smalls, the founder and President of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) and his colleagues, Gerald Bryson, President and Co-Founder of The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW) and Jordan Flowers, Co-Founder of the ALU and TCOEW. In 2020, Chris led a staged walk out that garnered national attention […]
YOBW campaign successes and highlights to date: Activities and information that are currently on the UNISON resources and bargaining section of the Black members webpage: Ethnicity Pay Gap PowerPoint Presentation Year of Black Worker LGBT+ PowerPoint Quiz We will be launching a new toolkit at the National Delegate Conference in June, aimed at activists, and […]
Connecting Generations and Improving Workplaces through Legacy and Change Whilst progress in the workplace for the Black worker in terms of tackling structural, systemic, and institutional racism has been evident, it has been painfully slow. In 2022, London CNN Business reported that 41% of Black workers in the UK have suffered racism in the workplace […]
The phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ was seen across our screens and streets following the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota. Black communities asked society and organisations like UNISON, what they would do to tackle racism and discrimination head on. There is a need to demonstrate with actions how we are committed to being an anti-racist […]
24 year-old Chris Kaba was killed following a police car pursuit on 5 September which ended in South London. An inquest into Mr Kaba’s death will be opened on 4 October. In a statement the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it would “explore all of the circumstances surrounding the unarmed father-to-be, including whether […]
We were delighted to be back sponsoring Sunshine International Art at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival. Our presence has been a proud tradition of community engagement over several years. The Notting Hill Carnival is Europe’s largest street festival which takes place annually in London the last weekend in August. The Carnival celebrates London’s multicultural past […]
All Black workers face racial oppression. Whilst each Black worker may experience racism, discrimination, and oppression differently, unity within and between Black workers creates greater power to confront the ills of racism. To achieve this, we must reconceptualise power and unity and broaden our reach in the context of our search for fair and equal […]
The 2022 Virtual Black Members’ Conference took place on 27 – 28 May, rescheduled from a physical conference in January due to the pandemic. This year’s theme was Black Members United and Empowered. As the conference was inquorate, delegates voted to suspend Standing Orders. This meant that the debates to follow would not form a […]