- Conference
- 2022 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 29 July 2022
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference acknowledges that one of UNISON’s strengths lies in its recognition of the value and unique experiences LGBT+ people bring to the workplace and to our union and commends the work of UNISON’s LGBT+ committee to raise the profile of its LGBT+ membership across the United Kingdom (UK).
Despite the work that has been done and the work of organisations such as Stonewall in the UK, many LGBT+ people still do not feel able to disclose their sexual orientation and/or gender identity at work for fear of discrimination and still some are even encouraged to hide their identity at work.
Although the best employers recognise the value in taking proactive steps to create inclusive workplace environments, all too often, LGBT+ employees still face barriers including little confidence in bullying reporting procedures, a lack of visible senior LGBT+ role models and a lack of visible senior support for LGBT+ equality and inadequate policies.
Conference observes that there is no requirement for employers to report on the numbers of LGBT+ people they employ or the LGBT+ pay gap. We need an understanding of how many of our members are LGBT+, the barriers they face and how both austerity and the pandemic has impacted LGBT+ people in the workplace if we are to provide our activists relevant training to support our LGBT+ membership in the workplace.
Conference calls on the national LGBT+ committee to seek support from the union to make 2024 the Year of LGBT+ Workers, in UNISON and to seek support from the TUC and other unions to support the initiative. As part of that Year conference calls on the
national LGBT+ committee to work with UNISON:
1. To develop and deliver events and activities to mark the Year of LGBT+ Workers that:
A. Celebrate the successes and contributions of LGBT+ people in the workplace;
B. Challenge societal and environmental barriers to employing LGBT+ people;
C. Showcase success stories and visible role models.
2. To undertake a survey of our membership to determine the number of members who self-declare as LGBT+ and the barriers they face, and to report on the findings;
3. To undertake an audit of LGBT+ related training available across UNISON and to map the density of activists trained across each of our Regions and to report on the findings;
4. To encourage branches to share experiences, both good and bad, to provide learning opportunities for our activists when supporting LGBT+ members at work and to encourage branches to press for meaningful work and progression opportunities for LGBT+ members.