- Conference
- 2013 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 18 September 2012
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference recognises that times of austerity prove a fertile breeding ground for far right rhetoric and feelings. High unemployment and rising costs creates opportunities for the far right to scapegoat minority groups.
The rise of the English Defence League and her sister organisations, the Scottish and Welsh Defence Leagues (SDL and WDL) is disheartening and their regular attempts to march in our cities and towns attempt to stoke up anti Muslim feeling. The EDL along with the BNP are exploiting the prejudices being whipped up by the media as well as some politicians.
As trade unionists, we are no strangers to this divide and rule tactic by the EDL and other far right groups and we must be in the front line to defending our rights as Black people and the rights of other community groups.
UNISON has a proven track record in mobilising against far right parties in local and national elections as well as when they seek to claim our streets with their hate.
Conference instructs the National Black Members Committee to:
1)Highlight and publicise the real nature of the EDL, SDL and WDL and continue to challenge the false claims made by the EDL that they are fighting to protect the rights of British workers.
2)Continue to challenge Islamophobia, racism and fascism in all of its guises;
3)Continue to work with the Trades Union Congress Race Relations Committee, Searchlight, Hope not Hate and Unite Against Fascism to fight the far right.