- Conference
- 2024 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 1 November 2024
- Decision
- Carried
The racist riots across Britain over the summer were a low point in our country’s history. However, the counter protests and community actions that followed highlighted how we can see off the divisive threat of the far right by organising and standing together. The solidarity shown by these communities echoed the words of the murdered MP Jo Cox: “We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.”
Conference notes the disturbing rise of far-right movements across Europe, including the Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) (Alternative for Germany) party. The AfD has gained significant support, particularly in the former East German states, by promoting anti-immigrant, xenophobic, Islamophobic and homophobic narratives, which exacerbate divisions in Germany and beyond. Their rhetoric characterises a dangerous trend across Europe, where far-right politicians are seeking to normalise extremist views and are threatening to erode democratic institutions.
The historical context in Germany could not be more chilling, where the persecution of minorities was institutionalised in the Holocaust: Jewish communities, gay men, disabled people, Roma people, and many other marginalised groups faced horrific violence, imprisonment and systematic extermination under Nazi rule.
The resurgence of far-right movements today – with ideologies that dehumanise and scapegoat vulnerable groups – echoes these dangerous patterns and threatens to revive discriminatory and violent practices.
Conference notes that far-right movements aim to fracture worker solidarity and undermine rights by exploiting racial, cultural and national differences. It is essential that our union continues to champion unity, tolerance and equality.
Racism, xenophobia, and discrimination against LGBT+ communities, migrants and other vulnerable groups erode the solidarity essential to trade unionism.
UNISON affirms its commitment to resist the rise of far-right ideologies that echo historical persecution and threaten the safety and dignity of workers today. By educating, lobbying, and mobilising against extremism, we stand together to create a just and inclusive society for all.
Conference calls on the national LGBT+ committee to work with other parts of the union as appropriate to:
1)Initiate a UNISON-led campaign with European trade union partners to expose and combat far-right extremism and educate on the importance of anti-racist, anti-homophobic, and intersectional and inclusive solidarity
2. Create educational resources and training workshops on the historical and present-day dangers of far-right ideologies and the need to stand in solidarity with all minority communities
3. Create toolkits to help branches develop anti-racist and anti-fascist initiatives, empowering members to challenge prejudice and discrimination in workplaces and communities