Young people in care

Conference notes the research commissioned by the Rowntree Foundation (Black Youth on the Margins, Ravinder Barn, 2001). The report noted that about 50,000 children and young people were looked after by local authorities in England in 2000. There was no ethnic monitoring of the young people at this point. However in a study of 6 […]

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Conference notes that in 2010 the Ugandan newspaper ‘Rolling Stone’ published a list of 100 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people with their pictures set against a headline of ‘Hang Them’. The photograph of David Kato the founder of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SM-UG) featured prominently on the front page. David, whilst actively fighting against […]

Developing Links in Colombia

It is well known that Colombia continues to be the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist or social movement leader. Between January 2007 and June 2012, 225 trade unionists were murdered for campaigning for their members’ rights and social justice. What is less known by many is that the situation […]

GET ACTIVE – AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Conference recognises the priority that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) self organisation has given, along with the wider union, to recruiting new members and engaging existing members in self-organisation. It is to our credit that not only do we encourage membership and participation in the self-organised groups but we also encourage activists to operate […]

Save legal aid before it is too late

This Conference condemns the cuts implemented to legal aid by this government. Legal aid is the means by which everyone in this country should be able to get access to legal advice and representation. However whole classes of legal aid have been removed that affect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Broken Rainbow, […]

Language Matters

Conference believes that inclusive language is important in ensuring that all people within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community feel welcome and valued. Conference also believes that language, and our understanding of language, is constantly evolving, and that as LGBT activists we should always be mindful of this. Conference is aware that within […]

LGBT workers’ rights – home and away

Conference recognises that, whilst there is still work to be done in improving rights and conditions for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Kingdom, these are still significantly better than those endured by many abroad. Homosexuality is still illegal and punishable in varying degrees in dozens of countries, one of which […]

Challenging sexism in the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community

Conference notes that because the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community does not exist in a vacuum, sexism looks fairly similar: white men hold power in our community; just as white (straight) men hold the power in the general population. Conference congratulates the National Union of Students (NUS) LGBT conference 2012 for overturning the […]

HIV Prevention and Early Diagnosis

That this Conference notes that as of June 2013, 131,327 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections have been diagnosed in the UK since the epidemic (pandemic) began in the early 1980s: at least 21,350 are known to have died. The overwhelming majority (>95%) of HIV infections reported over the past 10 years in the UK were […]

Rise of Homophobia Abroad and international LGBT rights

Conference is concerned about the spread of anti-gay legislation in a number of countries and alarmed at the growing cycle of intolerance where the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are openly targeted and in many cases attacked. The growing evidence easily accessible on social media, for example, in parts of Russia where young […]

Transphobia in the Media

Conference congratulates Conchita Wurst on her Eurovision win and applauds her work in bringing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) issues to an international stage. Conchita Wurst is the drag alter ego of Tom Neuwirth who created the character to “call for tolerance for everything that is different.” It was fantastic to see a […]

Wages Councils in the Community and Voluntary Sector

This conference notes the devastating impact that marketisation, public sector funding cuts, and welfare reform, have had on workers in the community and voluntary sector. Market mechanisms have led to a race to the bottom in terms and conditions in many parts of the sector, as employers undercut each other to win contracts. The Government […]

Disability in the Community Sector

Conference is aware that disabled people make up approximately of 45% of the workforce in the UK and that a number of disabled people work in the Community Sector. Whilst there are examples of good employment practice, this is inconsistent across Community due to the absence of a national negotiating body and the number of […]

Barriers to Women’s Participation in the Community Sector

Conference notes that women remain under-represented in the activist base within the community service group despite its workforce being predominantly female. Despite the very positive measures within UNISON to promote women’s participation, there remain legacies and cultures which exclude women, including women from non-traditional union backgrounds, and particularly those working in the Community Sector where […]

Representation of Members in the Community Sector

Conference notes that there are a multitude of problems in organising with the Community Service Group, particularly in small employer organisations. Conference notes that: a) Whilst there are areas of good practice and supportive branches, the existing UNISON branch structure does not always easily facilitate engagement of Community members who are placed in Local Government […]