- Conference
- 2023 National Black Members’ Conference
- Date
- 29 September 2022
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
UNISON is a growing union, and we seek to recruit members from all backgrounds across thousands of workplaces, despite this many branches have found it difficult to recruit and engage with members from Black communities there are barriers both external and within UNISON that also impact on black participation.
Some of the barriers include:
1)Black Members’ Officers don’t always have information about black members within their own branches which impacts on engagement;
2)Geographical make up of some branches make it impossible to access other black members;
3)Some branches do not have or have not appointed a Black Members’ Officer with some branches never having a designated Black Members’ Officer since their inception.
It is important that branches take a proactive approach in engaging black members, this starts by ensuring there is an appointed Black Members’ Officer within each branch. Branches need to ensure there is appropriate training in place on how to engage hard to reach communities.
Conference instructs the National Black Members’ Committee to:
a)Formulate guidelines for branches to ensure there is representation from Black members in their branches;
b)To identify barriers to recruitment of Black Members’ Officers within branches and create action plans on how to reduce these barriers;
c)To work with branches to ensure they have targeted recruitment events, during Black History Month, University open days and linking with professional bodies e.g. NESWA, and ensure attendance at induction events for new recruits;
d)To identify agencies who are recruiting from abroad and cascade information to branches;
e)To identify best practice and cascade these to other branches to share best practice on how to increase black members participation;.
f)Support black members with mentoring to be able to take up leadership roles in branches.