Every year UNISON marks Holocaust Memorial Day, which takes place on 27 January. This day is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration and death camp, which took place 80 years ago this year. It is also marks 30 years since the genocide in Bosnia.
We remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution, including Roma and Sinti people, disabled people, LGBT+ people, Black people, trade unionists and political opponents of the Nazis.
We also remember and commemorate the victims of more recent genocides.
Each year, Holocaust Memorial Day has a specific theme, which for 2025 is ‘For a Better Future’. We recommit as a trade union to bring our collective efforts to bear to create that better future.
The Holocaust Memorial Trust has produced free guides and resources to help your workplace or UNISON branch organise events and activities around this theme.
The trust has also created guides to getting involved that feature tailored advice to support trade unions and workplaces organising activities to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Visit the trust’s website to access a wide range of resources and order free activity packs.
No matter the scale of your event or activity, the trust would welcome learning about how your workplace or UNISON branch commemorates the day. Whether your activity is private or open to the public, you can let them know here.
The Holocaust Education Trust also offers guidance notes and suggested readings.
UNISON also supports the work of Generation 2 Generation (G2G), a charity that provides speakers to tell their family Holocaust stories online or face-to-face to a variety of audiences.
Through these engaging and historically accurate presentations, integrating first-hand survivor testimony, G2G works to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are learned, promoting tolerance of all groups in society.
Find out more about this important work and vital survivor testimonies.
You can also read UNISON member, Paddy Toner’s, account of visiting Auschwitz as part of a North West region educational tour in March, last year.
