- Conference
- 2007 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 20 February 2007
- Decision
- Carried
Conference is pleased to note that, following the introduction of the Gender Equality Duty in April 2007, there is now a statutory duty on all public authorities to have due regard to the need to:
1) eliminate unlawful sex discrimination;
2) promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
Public authorities will no longer be able to simply respond to complaints of sex discrimination and sexual harassment; they will have to identify and tackle sex discrimination, to prevent harassment, and to ensure that their policies and practices promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
The Duty will apply to all public authorities in respect of all their functions, to policy-making, services provision and employment matters. It also applies to public authorities in relation to services and functions which are contracted out.
Crucially, the Equal Opportunities Commission’s Code of Practice on the Gender Duty refers specifically to consultation with, and involvement of, trade unions as stakeholders and identifies 13 employment priorities which are longstanding items on the equality bargaining agenda.
UNISON, as the largest United Kingdom public sector union, is in the best possible position to influence the implementation of the gender duty, with our members participating in the consultation process both as service users and service providers.
Conference therefore calls on the National Executive Council and other relevant bodies in UNISON to:
a) ensure that all branches and service groups are aware of the potential of the Gender Equality Duty to change the working lives of women and men;
b) ensure that all branches are aware and make use of the new guidance and training available on how to participate in the consultation process and the effective use of the three equalities duties, race, disability and gender, to achieve UNISON’s equality objectives;
c) work with regions to share best practice and support the implementation of the gender duty;
d) lobby the government to ensure that the Equal Opportunities Commission and its replacement body, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, are adequately funded to carry out their essential roles of monitoring and enforcement of the Duty.