Monitoring – Doing it Properly, Getting it Right

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Conference
2006 National LGBT Conference
Date
28 July 2006
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference notes with concern that many employers are embarking on the monitoring of sexual orientation without adequate consultation with trade unions and relevant staff forums.

Conference is further concerned that employers are failing to give adequate thought as to how to preserve the confidentiality and anonymity of replies to such monitoring surveys.

Conference believes that, in spite of the involvement of such organisations as Stonewall with many of our employers, this is an issue of collective bargaining and that only if appropriate safeguards are in place can monitoring gain the confidence of staff and become a successful tool for addressing equality concerns.

In addition Conference notes the motion carried by National Delegate Conference, 2006 and the advice previously published by the TUC stressing the need for appropriate safeguards in order for monitoring to proceed.

Conference calls therefore on all branches to be vigilant and ensure that any move towards the introduction of monitoring must meet our minimum standards and that we do not vacate our responsibilities towards our membership towards other bodies such as Stonewall or local LGBT groups which might not have appropriate trade union input.

Conference instructs the National LGBT Committee to:

1.Prioritise its work in this area as agreed by LGBT Conference 2005 motion 62 and motion 42 to National Delegates Conference 2006.

2.Issue guidance to branches as a matter of urgency on ‘workforce monitoring’