- Conference
- 2022 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 14 February 2022
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
The UNISON rule book stipulates one of the aims of our union is to “promote fair representation in all the Union’s structures for women, members of all grades, Black members, disabled members and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) members.” As a movement built on the values of solidarity and collectivism, we know just how important it is to defeat the tendencies that divide people. It is why we in the trade union movement have a special responsibility to tackle discrimination. We know that unless we do so our objective to organise and unite all working people becomes more difficult.
UNISON has a long and proud tradition of tackling discrimination in the workplace and more broadly in society. We were the Union that championed self-organisation, proportionality, and fair representation, to guarantee through our rule book a union that reflects the diversity of its membership. We have long campaigned for a fair, equal, and just society.
By embracing progressive ideals, changing our own organisation, we positioned the union so we could speak with credibility challenging others to follow in our footsteps. Conference is extremely disappointed that the initial actions of the National Executive Council elected in 2021 resulted in:
1)An all-white Presidential team;
2)No Black Members selected as the Chair or Vice Chair of any of the 7 National Executive Council sub-committees;
3)UNISON’s delegation to the TUC General Council being all white (with three of the four members representing just one region).
Conference believes that the union has the most unrepresentative structure of senior lay leaders since the union was founded 29 years ago. It reflects the old established order of white privilege. It diminishes the role and value of Black members, and it ultimately weakens our union.
Conference therefore urges the National Executive Council:
a) To pay full attention to the rule book requirement to fair representation in the future;
b)To call for measures to be taken to prevent this from happening again with a report back on actions taken at next year’s National Delegate Conference.