- Conference
- 2010 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 16 February 2010
- Decision
- Carried
The present economic crisis is a threat to the living standards, jobs and pensions of all working classes around the world.
In the United Kingdom there are one million young people under the age of 25 out of work and increasing unemployment across the private sector and public sector. A major concern for Black members is that they are targeted for redundancy in the current economic downturn. Many of those currently unemployed or being made redundant through restructures and re-organisations within organisations particularly in the public sector are Black people. The change agenda in the public sector only serves to heighten Black Members’ concerns over job security.
Conference recognises that workers are not to blame for this crisis and so foreign workers and the unemployed should not be made scapegoats, neither should employers be allowed to systematically target Black members out of jobs.
Black members are facing reduced working hours or losing their jobs which can cause anxiety and long term health impacts. Debt and other financial issues may put quality of life and homes at risk and may contribute to added strain and pressures on families and children’s school performance.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is working with the Department for Work and Pensions on a new study to assess how the recession is affecting disadvantaged groups. The Government has pledged that steps will be taken to prevent the pattern of entrenched unemployment amongst these groups seen in previous recessions.
The review will report on which groups are suffering disproportionately in the downturn; this will inform government policy responses. The reviews aim to make recommendations on how to properly target help towards a post recession recovery.
Conference calls on the National Executive Committee to work with Service Groups, National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC) and other Self Organised Groups to:
1)Ensure that Equality Impact Assessments are carried at every stage of reorganisations/restructures;
2)Tackle any form of discrimination vigorously which may stem from victimisation, bullying and harassment of Black Members or Black Activists when they are part of such areas of re-organisations and restructures;
3)Discuss with the NBMC innovative ways to provide young Black people within our communities with knowledge of what UNISON can do for them as a trade union. An example in this time of recession would be to open one stop shops in the Black communities. The mechanism of how this would work can be developed through discussions, but another example would be to have young Black volunteers run such an enterprise;
4)Find ways to monitor and analyse the trends of Black Members undergoing re-organisations and restructures at work, seek ways forward in conjunction with the NBMC;
5)Share information across all parts of UNISON.