- Conference
- 2004 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 23 February 2004
- Decision
- Carried
Conference welcomes the work done by UNISON’s branches, regions and at national level to promote equal opportunities in employment, wider society and our own organisation.
In particular, Conference applauds UNISON’s initiative regarding implementation of the Stephen Lawrence report and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, our lead in the campaign against racism, and recent advice and guidance concerning implementation of the European Union’s equal treatment framework directive.
Further, Conference notes that UNISON is faced with many new opportunities to actively promote equalities issues with employers, in the community and in the union, including: recent legislation, pay and grading settlements with all major public sector employers, forthcoming elections and in campaigns.
Conference agrees on the central importance of UNISON pursuing an integrated approach in promoting initiatives to further our equalities agenda. Equalities issues must form a central plank of all our bargaining work, and should also be mainstreamed throughout our campaigning agenda.
Conference welcomes the leading role that UNISON has played in campaigning against the British National Party (BNP). However, our campaign against racism must move beyond opposition and build upon the work we already do with black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to promote and strengthen community cohesion.
Further, Conference agrees that UNISON’s future in organising and representing members from under-represented groups lies in the organising approach, which has proved so successful in organising other groups of workers. UNISON will only be truly successful in promoting equality at work and in society if it supports its own members in organising around equality at local level, in workplaces and with employers, and if it supports and enables such members in participating in the mainstream of the union.
To this end, Conference calls on the National Executive Council to work with branches and regions to:
1)develop mechanisms to ensure an integrated approach to equality issues across all bargaining and campaigning initiatives;
2)support joint working with community organisations committed to promoting community cohesion, in line with UNISON’s priorities;
3)provide comprehensive advice to regions and branches on responding to recent legislation, and current pay and grading agreements, to promote equalities;
4)promote a union-wide campaign to recruit and organise public sector workers from under-represented groups, and to support them in working within the mainstream of the union, including becoming workplace representatives and holding office;
5)provide advice and support to branches and representatives in organising around equality issues at workplace and employer level;
6)allocate adequate resources to updating the union’s membership records.