TRADES UNION CONGRESS GENERAL COUNCIL

Conference notes that, following earlier changes to secure the representation of black workers, in 2001 the Trades Union Congress General Council was further enlarged to include three new sections, H, I and J, representing respectively trades unionists with disabilities, lesbian and gay trades unionists and trades unionists under 27 years of age. In 2002 bisexual […]

ASYLUM IN THE UK

Conference notes with concern the rise in attacks on asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. Conference condemns those politicians and media whose use of stereotypes and myths create a climate in which attacks on asylum seekers and the abuse of their human rights is seen as a valid response. Recent reports by Oxfam Scotland […]

FALSE ALLEGATIONS

Many of us have fought for years for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, as many lesbians and gay men are aware, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are there is very little in the way of information and […]

FULL EQUALITY IN PARTNERSHIP RIGHTS

Conference welcomes the Civil Partnership Bill, but believes it falls short of full equality. Conference therefore calls for the following: 1.Both marriage and civil partnership should be available to both same and opposite partners; 2.There should be legal recognition for same and opposite partners who are either unable or unwilling to register or marry; 3.Equality […]

SUPPORTING DVERSITY REPRESENTATION THROUGH CULTURAL EVENTS

Conference congratulates the North West Region for its support to the production and premier of Arek (a film about holocaust survival). Conference notes that the film omitted to portray the full range of diverse peoples targeted by the holocaust, including trade unionists, lesbians and gay men, Roma people and others. Conference congratulates the City and […]

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY ISSUES IN THE HEALTH SERVICE

Conference welcomes the work carried out by the Health Group on issues affecting lesbians and gay men but believes that bisexual and transgender issues have not received sufficient prominence. Conference notes, for example, that transgender health workers face particular pressures, especially when working in clinical environments (in both clinical and non-clinical posts). Conference acknowledges therefore […]

FALSE ALLEGATIONS

Many of us have fought for years for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are there is very little in the way of information and support. Many of our members work alone with […]

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE

Conference welcomes the increased profile of lesbian and gay workplace issues in the work of many parts of our union, while acknowledging that there is still much to be done. Conference recognises that UNISON’s ability to organise, negotiate and campaign effectively on equality issues flows directly from its commitment to self-organisation. Conference notes that since […]

FALSE ALLEGATIONS

Many of us have fought for years for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, as many lesbians and gay men are aware, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are there is very little in the way of information and […]

PROMOTING RACE EQUALITY

Conference notes that current United Kingdom legislation places a duty upon public bodies to promote race equality. It further notes that public bodies in Northern Ireland and the Greater London Authority have a similar duty in other respects too. It regrets that this wider duty has not, so far, been extended to other public bodies […]

NATIONAL IDENTITY CARDS

This conference believes that the Home Secretary’s National Identity Card Initiative is an attack at an individual’s right to privacy and a possible violation of their human rights. Areas of concern include: 1.Recording of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, race, colour, or impairments; 2.Recording of a person’s political persuasion or religious beliefs; 3.Medical data […]

QUALITY OF EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION REPRESENTATION

At the National Delegate Conference in 1997 Conference voted overwhelmingly for paid Black officers in every region – to be available amongst other things, to advise on the quality of representation afforded to Black Members. The union saw fit never to implement this motion despite the motion being union policy. Prior to and since this […]

HIV/AIDS

This Conference welcomes the British Government’s commitment to support national governments who want to take forward a combination of approaches, balancing the urgent need to prevent new HIV infections with efforts to treat and care for people with HIV and Aids. The nations with the highest HIV infection rates are predominately Black, leading to scaremongering […]

GENOCIDE IN SUDAN

The Sudanese government’s campaign of the ethnic cleansing of Black Africans is all but complete. State-backed Arab militia and the Sudanese army have driven over a million people from their homes. Murder, rape and robbery are the tools used to force Black Africans to flee the Darfur region. The West’s response has been to flood […]

MASSACRES IN NORTHERN AND EASTERN UGANDA BY LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY

Conference note that over the last 18 years, the rebels of Lord Resistance Army (LRA) have been abducting children, torturing and slaughtering innocent people of Northern & Eastern Uganda. The 18 year war against Uganda Government by the LRA has resulted in numerous massacres of the local population and the abduction of up to 20,000 […]