Sexual Orientation Regulations 2003

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Conference
2003 National Lesbian & Gay Conference
Date
1 August 2003
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference welcomes the advice from the Joint Select Committee on Statutory Instruments regarding the proposed Sexual Orientation Regulations 2003. Conference notes the Select Committee’s advice that the regulations do not comply with the European Directive in relation to Regulation 7(3) regarding religion or belief.

Conference is dismayed that the Government has chosen to ignore the advice as to whether regulation 7(3) is intra vires (i.e. in line with the directive) and pushed the proposals through Parliament on 17 June 2003.

Conference instructs the National Lesbian and Gay Committee (NLGC) to encourage UNISON Lesbian & Gay members to urge the National Executive Council (NEC) to:

1.continue its lobby of Parliament in ensuring that Regulation 7(3) is deleted, making it clear that discrimination of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) workers on religious grounds or beliefs is not acceptable;

and to ensure that

2.unmarried people in partnerships, are afforded security in pension rights.

If the Government continues on its present course of action, the NLGC should then encourage and lobby the NEC to take such necessary action to:

A.continue to particpate in the challenge to the existing regulations through the courts by seeking a judicial review;

B.call upon UNISON members on the Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Council to continue to support any TUC action for a judicial review and campaign for strengthening the regulations;

C.arrange regional briefings specifically targeting LGB members with a view to ensuring that the newly acquired rights are given the widest possible publicity.