- Conference
- 2014 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 1 October 2013
- Decision
- Carried
Conference condemns the head-long cuts programme of the Tory-led coalition government. Conference notes that their ideology-driven austerity agenda – which they publicly claim is for the sake of our economy – is in fact standing in the way of delivering the jobs and growth that we need.
Conference welcomes UNISON’s exposure of this government’s failings and our campaign for a future that works. The disproportionate impact of the cuts on some groups of workers, including Black, disabled, women, and young people is well documented. Conference further welcomes UNISON’s commissioning of research into the impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, an impact which has not previously been widely acknowledged.
Conference notes that people who belong to more than one of these groups, such as Black LGBT workers, experience a cumulative negative effect. However, this can be hard to measure. Indeed Black LGBT workers can be an invisible group in the workplace, if the narrow-minded assume no Black workers are LGBT and no LGBT workers are Black.
Fear of multiple discrimination can make it particularly difficult for Black LGBT workers to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity/gender history. But not being out does not protect LGBT people from the effects of discrimination, rather it can make it all the more insidious.
1)Conference instructs the National Black Members Committee to liaise with the National LGBT committee and highlight the particular impact of the cuts on Black LGBT people, both as workers and as service users, in our negotiations, campaigning and organising.
2)Conference further instructs the National Black Members Committee to call on regional and branch Black members groups to work with regional and branch LGBT groups. Joint initiatives can include reaching out to Black LGBT community groups and potential Black LGBT members with UNISON’s equality, pro-public service and recruitment messages.