- Conference
- 2004 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 30 October 2003
- Decision
- Carried
Black members and black communities are deeply concerned about the rise of the Bristish National Party (BNP) and the election of the BNP to seventeen local authority seats in various parts of the country.
Black members are extremely concerned that those charged with mounting effective campaigns against the BNP appear to be sticking to a policy that ignorance of the BNP will diminish the threat of the BNP. The BBC’s screening of the its undercover operation The Secret Policeman on 21 October 2003 left black communities in no doubt that those entrusted with the rule of law and the power to peddle and enforce their own racist ideologies about black people as truth, were even more secure in positions of establishments than ever. The programme also verified the views of black communities that racism is as vociferous, entrenched and institutionalised as ever, and indeed in the opinion of those commenting on the sickening revelations the documentary exposed – that, racism is worse than it was five years ago. The Secret Policeman gave a first hand account of how racists were able to celebrate the embeddedness of racism in society and the police force and the link of both to the political systems in the UK.
The politics of extreme right pose a serious threat to our democratic values particularly in the knowledge that the BNP enjoy support right through the establishment. Additionally and quite shamefully, it has also been established that UNISON members have also voted for BNP candidates who now hold local authority seats.
Conference is concerned that the politics of placating the BNP has done nothing to weaken the BNP’s belief (with support from police officers and some UNISON members) that they are able to help themselves to any aspect of the political process in the UK.
Conference is also concerned that there appears to be no effective policy emerging from the Labour Party with regard to challenging head on, the threat of the BNP. Indeed, in the most recent by-elections of strong Labour seats, Labour has been beaten into second and third place by the BNP. This, coupled with the extreme right wing policies that have emerged from Labour Home Office ministers, particularly with regard to race and immigration and asylum, has left black communities and black trade unionists in a quandary. Conference believes that black people will seriously question voting for a Labour Party that appears to focus solely on its national agenda whilst leaving local concerns to local trends and chance.
Conference believes that this policy will have a devastating effect on the black vote at the next general election, and without a firm sense of direction from the UNISON leadership, will cause black members to vote with their feet and question their membership of the Union.
Conference believes that this matter should be given the urgency it deserves and instructs the National Black Members’ Committee to:
1) meet with the General Secretary and the President of UNISON to raise the concerns expressed in this motion and develop effective briefing networks to advise members and branches of appropriate action to take in mounting local challenges against the BNP;
2) establish a working party involving black members, at the highest level of the union, whose priorities shall be to mount an effective campaign against the rise of the BNP both within and outside the union;
3) seek urgent meetings with Brendan Barber and relevant Labour Party MPs to discuss the concerns expressed in this motion with a view to developing a political and trade union strategy focused on meeting the threat of the BNP head on;
4) provide report and action strategies to branches and all UNISON’s 2004/5 conferences.