- Conference
- 2007 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 22 February 2007
- Decision
- Carried
Conference welcomes the positive initiative by the Centre for Excellence and Leadership (CEL) and its report on Equality and Sexual Orientation. It aims to support managers, staff, students and trade unions to effectively develop positive policies on sexual orientation. UNISON worked with CEL and other key stakeholders on this initiative. The findings revealed an alarming policy deficit in this area, which needs to be addressed. The findings are disturbing and show colleges refusing to acknowledge the existence of homophobia or unable to tackle it. It paints a picture of fear due to an alarming prevalence of bullying and harassment of Lesbian and Gay Bisexual Transgendered (LGBT) students and staff in FE colleges.
Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to ensure:
1That UNISON works with other unions, including the National Union of Students (NUS), key sector stakeholders and colleges to promote good practice and draw attention to the existing national agreements on Sexual Orientation and Transgender which many colleges have not adopted
2That we fully disseminate the good practice guidance developed by the trade unions
3That training materials are developed for branches and college reps to use to tackle homophobia as well as to organise and campaign around the issue
4That branches encourage stewards and contacts to attend training events on sexual orientation
5That branches encourage networking between the college stewards at regional, branch and community level
6That branches encourage the regional and branch self organised groups to participate in this initiative