- Conference
- 2009 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 17 February 2009
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes and welcomes the government’s budget commitment to increased public spending. However, it is essential that the proposed “efficiency savings” also contained in the budget do not equate to job cuts or cuts in services at this time of recession.
There is growing evidence that this recession will have a significant and unprecedented impact on women. The majority of public sector workers, particularly in the lower grades, are women. Women are also the primary users of public services, and make greater use of services such as welfare and debt advice.
The demand for voluntary sector services such as women’s refuges is also likely to increase, as the credit crunch exacerbates existing financial problems and leads to conflict within households.
Conference believes that UNISON must use the Gender Equality Duty effectively as a further tool in combating cuts in services.
The equality duties have already been used to prevent Ealing Council withdrawing funding from Southall Black Sisters – a voluntary sector group committed to providing support for black women fleeing violence in their homes. The council had failed to equality impact assess their decision to withdraw funding, or to properly understand the provisions of the Race Equality Duty, and the SBS court challenge resulted in the reinstatement of that funding whilst a proper review took place.
Conference therefore calls upon the Service Group Executive to:
1raise awareness of the potential of the equality duties in combating cuts to services
2encourage branch negotiators to attend the training courses available through UNISON Learning and Organising Services
3ensure that branches are equipped to participate in the design of local authority equality schemes, including scrutinising employers’ equality impact assessments