HAITI – MORE AID NEEDED

A devastating earthquake, the worst in 200 years, struck Port-au-Prince on the 12th January 2010, laying waste to the city with almost 300,000 people dead in the devastation. More than a million of our brothers and sisters are living homeless in the densely populated areas of Port-au-Prince and surrounding parts of the country, since the […]

CON-DEM CUTS WILL HAVE A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON BLACK DISABLED PEOPLE

The announcement of further cuts to public spending and benefits on 20 October 2010 in the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review heralded yet more difficult times for disabled people. Disabled people were already set to be disproportionately affected by the Con-Dems emergency budget that claimed to be designed to redress the deficit in the economic downturn. […]

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS & THE NEW SINGLE EQUALITY BILL

Conference recognises and welcomes the Single Equality Bill which will change discrimination law in a number of important ways. We are concerned however, that a new wave of restructuring across the Public Sectors (inc. Local Government, NHS, Higher Education & Voluntary Organisations) are to have a negative impact on Black, Low Paid, Women, Disabled, Lesbian, […]

BLACK MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATION AT NATIONAL DELEGATE CONFERENCE

Conference notes that: The number of Black members attending National Delegates Conference (NDC) is significantly low. Often Black members in our branches are not aware or provided the opportunity to attend NDC, despite UNISON having rules on proportionality and fair representation. Conference recognizes Unison’s use of Proportionality and Fair Representation in its ‘Scheme of Branch […]

BLACK MEMBERSHIP IN UNISON

Conference notes that Black members remain concerned with their under representation throughout UNISON structures. Many branches still don’t have self organised groups while at the same time employers are setting up Black Minority Ethnic Group/Forums. This can not only undermine the unions’ structures and take away branch development opportunities in terms of establishing Self Organised […]

WHY SHOULD BLACK MEMBERS AND BLACK ACTIVISTS PAY PRICE WITH THEIR JOBS?

Conference notes that the public sector cuts are well underway and that Black members are already being selected for redundancy. It is a concern for the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) and the wider union that Black activists are not singled out for their work on supporting members within their branches and workplaces. We also […]

BLACK WOMEN AND BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK. More than 45,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and the disease causes almost 12,000 deaths each year. Eight in ten cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women over the age of 50. Black and Asian women are significantly more […]

MARY SEACOLE – TURN HER INTO STONE

In June 2009 a proposal to raise public funding to erect a monument to this positive Black female pioneer and her significant achievements was aired on national television. The ambition to erect a statue of her “going forth”, to be sited in St Thomas’ Hospital grounds on the lawn opposite the Houses of Parliament, was […]

DISABLED BLACK PEOPLE IN A CON-DEM GOVERNMENT

It is regrettable that more Black people continue to experience common health problems such as anxiety and depression. With the Government changes to Disability Living Allowance and Welfare system, there is no doubt that the disabled Black people that have significant mental illness would be more affected. The recent pronouncement by the Government to cap […]

NATIONAL BLACK MEMBER’S CONFERENCE REVIEWS

This Conference believes that with any structure there is usually room for improvement. The discussions at and after Conference shows that there have been concerns about the facilities and information made available. This Conference notes that: ·We have been holding National Black Members’ Conferences throughout the life of UNISON. ·The National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC) […]

STANDING UP FOR BLACK WOMEN IN THE FACE OF THE AUSTERITY BUDGET

June’s ConDem budget will have a disproportionate affect on women and on Black women in particular. Research released by the Fawcett Society showed that 72% of cuts will be met from women’s income as many of the cuts are to the benefits that more women than men rely on and the changes to the tax […]

NATIONAL BLACK MEMBERS CONFERENCE PUBLICITY AND INFORMATION

This Conference believes that information sometime gets lost about this National Black Members’ Conference. We believe that more needs to be done to inform members about the opportunity to attend this conference. Many Black members are still not aware that notification of Conference goes to branches in July and is placed on the UNISON Website. […]

SUPPORTING OUR MIGRANT WORKERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND EXPLOITATION

In times of recession and job cuts, migrant workers are not only going to feel the rise in racist attitudes, but they can be certain that immigration legislation will follow trend and imposed increasingly restrictive measures. Most of our members who have not yet obtained residency will be likely to be forced to go home. […]

BLACK STUDENTS AND ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY

It is already well documented that teachers have lower expectations of Black students than their white counterparts and this can affect their life chances. In 2009 the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) discovered a widening gap between Black and Minority students who achieve firsts and 2:1’s compared to the proportion of white students that do. The […]

BLACK MEMBERS, EQUALITY, CUTS AND EFFICIENCIES

The present Con Dem Government while espousing sounds around the issue of ‘liberties’ does not regard equality and fairness as so important in its cuts and efficiencies agenda. Within the Equality Act 2010, it obliges all Government departments to undergo Equality Impact Assessments on all its policies and their subsequent impact upon Black workers, women […]