- Conference
- 2008 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 25 February 2008
- Decision
- Carried
Conference recognises that migration continues to be an important issue in all parts of the UK. Migrant workers make an essential contribution to the delivery of public services and to the overall economic wellbeing of the UK. Yet all too often this contribution is ignored and migrants are scapegoated for inadequate funding and provision of public services. Some of the media myths and distortions about migrant workers can only serve to undermine social cohesion and leave migrant workers isolated.
Conference recognises the continuing good work done by UNISON in organising and representing migrant workers. In particular Conference applauds the support for Senior Care Worker members who have been adversely and unfairly affected by changes in the Government’s rules on work permits. UNISON continues to play a key role in protecting vulnerable workers and building social cohesion, both through its support for the work of the Commission on Integration and Social Cohesion and the TUC Commission on Vulnerable Employment, and through its public support for migrants and its campaigns to ensure that they are treated fairly with dignity and respect.
Conference therefore welcomes the establishment in UNISON of the Migrant Workers Participation Project, which seeks to build on previous good practice by encouraging migrant workers to become active in all parts of UNISON. The Project provides an important opportunity to work more closely with migrant groups, build cohesion in the workplace, ensure that issues that are important to migrant workers form part of the UNISON negotiating agenda and ensure that UNISON is better able to represent migrant workers.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to:
1)actively campaign against myths and distortions about migrant workers, by publishing and promoting material which highlights the positive contribution migrant workers are making to the UK;
2)publicise the contribution made by migrant workers to the provision of public services while at the same time putting pressure on public authorities and the Government to ensure adequate provision of public services which both meets the needs of the settled community and the demands made by migration into the UK;
3)to campaign for fair treatment for migrant workers who are adversely affected by changes in the migration laws and to provide support for individual members who are adversely affected by such changes;
4)to lobby the Government to take steps to ensure social cohesion and fair treatment for vulnerable workers by amongst other things:
a)giving agency workers full employment rights;
b)providing for co-ordination between the agencies responsible;
c)ensuring ESOL and other training relevant to migrant workers is made available;
d)ensuring that employers take account of the needs of migrant workers in discharging their responsibility for health and safety.
5)provide support to Branches who are organising migrant workers in the form of advice and guidance. Ensuring that best practice is shared amongst Branches and Regions.
In welcoming the establishment of the Migrant Workers Participation Project
Conference calls on the whole of UNISON to work together to promote participation by migrant workers in all aspects of UNISON, while being sensitive to the linguistic, historical, cultural, and economic barriers to migrant workers becoming involved in UNISON.