- Conference
- 2021 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 8 July 2021
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that Black people were four times more likely to die of COVID-19 than white people while almost 60% of deaths were of disabled people.
The myth that COVID doesn’t discriminate has been unmasked. Black and disabled people were hit the hardest and we continue to be disproportionately impacted as we hopefully come out of the pandemic. ‘Long Covid’ has impacted upon existing conditions and triggered new conditions for many
Many Black workers were too low paid to quality for statutory sick pay and continued to have to come to work when they needed to self-isolate. For many homeworking is a fanciful dream, whilst living at work is the daily reality.
Disabled people are already facing significantly higher levels of redundancy than non-disabled people and the disability pay gap has worsened since the pandemic started.
The homeworking revolution that many of us have enjoyed has by-passed those Black workers who are more likely to work in low paid, front line and zero hours jobs, with no access to redeployment to jobs that could be done from home.
Conference therefore calls on the National Disabled Members Committee, in liaison with the National Black Members Committee, to:
A) Work with the service groups to support negotiation with employers to include front line workers in homeworking policies, with redeployment an option for those who want it
B) Campaign for an increase in the level and extent of sick pay so that low paid Black disabled workers don’t disproportionately lose out
C) Work with the NEC and the Labour Link to develop a broad-based campaigning and bargaining response to learn the lessons of the impact of Covid-19 on Black disabled workers.