- Conference
- 2020 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 18 September 2019
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that Black workers face numerous barriers in the workplace due to racism and that UNISON works hard to combat this through programmes such as Challenging Racism in the Workplace.
However many disabled Black workers face multiple discrimination in the workplace. In particular, Black workers can find it difficult to access reasonable adjustments at work due to a combination of disability discrimination and racism. Where reasonable adjustments are refused, Black disabled workers can find themselves subject to unfair sickness absence procedures or face losing their job through the capability process.
Conference notes that Black disabled workers face a �double whammy� of discrimination. In addition, for Black disabled women and LGBT+ workers the effect of discrimination is intensified still further.
Conference believes that the impact of combined discrimination on Black members requires an intersectional approach which takes account of the complexity of the effects of discrimination based on more than one protected characteristic and the impact this has on our diverse Black members.
Conference therefore calls on the National Black Members Committee to work with the National Disabled Members Committee and other national self organised group committees to:
1)Continue to publicise Challenging Racism in the Workplace and to raise awareness of these materials with other self organised groups
2)Publicise UNISON publications such as the Quick Guides to Reasonable Adjustments and to Access to Work and UNISON�s Disability Leave Bargaining Guide
3)Lobby government to reintroduce the Equality Act provisions on combined discrimination.