- Conference
- 2004 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 30 October 2003
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that UNISON is the biggest public sector union with more than one million members, with membership density being concentrated in health and local government – two public services that play a key roles in the lives of all citizens.
UNISON therefore has a vital responsibility to work to tackle racism and the attitudes and circumstances that cause it as part of a long term, ongoing strategy.
Conference further notes:
1)the high incidence of low pay and deprivation nationally against which UNISON consistently campaigns;
2)that communities experience multiple deprivation across the North of England continue to be targeted by the British National Party, (BNP) who distort the true causes behind the lack of public investment and equitable distribution of resources within our society, linking this with black communities and asylum seekers;
3)the pivotal role that each individual UNISON member can play in positively influencing our families, friends and local communities and challenging the racist and discriminatory rhetoric of the far right and the BNP;
4)the impending threat that the BNP will make significant gains in June 2004 local government and european parliament elections and the responsibility of the trade union movement to organise against this threat;
5)UNISON’s continuing commitment to building unity amongst workers across the labour movement and our communities towards challenging racism.
Conference welcomes the development of joint initiatives undertaken in 2003 by the National Executive Council (NEC), the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and UNISON regions across the North of England, in building links with community-based organisations towards creating and implementing effective strategies to challenge the rise of the far right and organisations such as the BNP and the racist platform on which they stand.
Conference therefore calls on the National Black Members’ Committee to call on the National Executive Council, Affiliated Political Fund, General Political Fund and regions to:
a)develop a strategy to ensure an effective campaign at a local regional and national level leading up to the June 2004 elections;
b)continue to commit resources to fighting the BNP in the communities most at risk;
c)continue to develop and promote UNISON’s anti-racist stance throughout the membership by using the outcome of the successful anti racist seminar organised by the North West Region as a model of good practice;
d)conduct an audit of local Coalition Against Racism groups and publish a network checklist on a region by region breakdown;
e)work with regions to organise and monitor training on the Race Relations Act 2000 in consultation with the National Black Members’ Committee;
f)produce an audit of branches who have participated in training in consultation with their black members on a region by region breakdown.