MOTION 3: Creating TUC Regional Black Activists Committees

Black Activists from the East and West Midlands became a formal committee at its first AGM in April 2023, previously it was an informal virtual network with an ad hoc meeting structure, we are called the TUC Midlands Black Activists Committee. There are Black activists from across all the affiliated TUC trade unions in the […]

MOTION 4: How do we ensure ongoing legacy of Year of the Black Workers

EAST MIDLANDS: REGIONAL BLACK MEMBERS NETWORK MOTION 4: How do we ensure ongoing legacy of Year of the Black Workers In 2023 we celebrated Year of the Black Workers across our union and we thank the National Black Members Committee for all their efforts on our behalf. So many Regions did not have access to […]

BLACK CHILDREN MENTAL HEALTH

It was reported in 2022 via a leaked National Health Service (NHS) report that Black youth and Black individuals in general were being failed by the system. They now make up 11 per cent of the population however 36 per cent of individuals detained in the highest level units are Black, with limited access to […]

Destimatising Black Workers’ Mental Health Illness

Conference notes barriers faced by Black people when accessing information and treatment for mental health care. Black communities are more likely to experience stigma and shame due to negative stereotyping and attitudes of rejection around mental health awareness. In our region, Black individuals are significantly affected due to racism, discrimination and cultural insensitivity. Work-related stress […]

The history of Black women in the union movement

The history of Black women’s involvement in the union in the UK is an extended, valuable and greatly inspiring one, yet the narratives of Black women activists have often been wiped away or minimised. Black women have long led the way in organising strategies and mobilising communities in the fight against racism and justice for […]

The `Health and Disability’ white paper; an attack on disabled people’s income and independence

Conference notes the publication of “Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper”, published by government in March 2023. The government claims this new set of policies related to welfare benefits will help more disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. However, conference believes the opposite is true […]

Next steps for our work on the Disability Employment Charter

Conference is proud that UNISON is one of the founding members of the Disability Employment Charter which now has 147 organisations signed up to it, including trade unions, disabled people organisations, public service employers, charitable organisations and private sector employers. The disability employment charter was founded because of the disadvantage that disabled people experience in […]

Get the vote out to get the Tories out!

Conference believes 13 years of Conservative-led government have been a disaster for disabled LGBT+ people and looks forward to the opportunity presented by the next general election for the UK to kick the Tories out of government. However, despite the opinion polls, this is by no means guaranteed. We, as trade unionists, must help to […]

Inclusive chairs groups that represent the members that we serve

UNISON is a growing union that strongly believes in equality, diversity, inclusion and equity and we maximise the benefits of this to increase our bargaining and campaigning strength. We recruit and encourage activism from members of all backgrounds. Despite this, many chairs of national committees, including self organised groups and service group executive chairs, do […]

Mind the Pay Gap!

In 2022 Conference passed four motions that mentioned a pay gap, recognising that any pay gap affecting any protected characteristic is unacceptable, and change is needed. Conference recognises that the current cost of living crisis has made the issue even more pressing. Conference accepts that since gender pay gap reporting was required for organisations with […]

The BSL GCSE: A route to tackling the Deaf employment gap

Conference notes that disabled peopled face barriers to employment. 2022 figures show that 53.3% of disabled people were in work compared to 81.9% for non-disabled people. This gives a shocking “disability employment gap” of 28.5%. Although official government figures do not record the employment gap for Deaf native British Sign Language (BSL) users specifically, a […]

Making hybrid workplaces more accessible for Deaf workers

Conference notes that since the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a massive shift to hybrid working, with many of our members now splitting their time between home working and the workplace. This has resulted in benefits to many disabled workers who can manage their impairment better at home, with short breaks and more flexible start […]

Making police services accessible to Deaf people

Conference notes that some police services in the UK have specialised Police Link Officer with Deaf People (PLOD). This has helped to make police services more accessible to Deaf people in some areas but it remains a post code lottery without a consistent service in all parts of the UK. Turn-over of staff also means […]

Progression for all – Black disabled workers can’t be left behind

Conference notes that despite the significant numbers of Black workers in the frontline work force, they are disproportionately underrepresented in managerial and senior levels within their departments and tend to be concentrated in the lower levels. Some commentators point to the ways in which institutional racism continues to play a key role in Black workers’ […]

Sickle Cell Disease needs to be taken seriously

Conference believes that Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an impairment that must be taken seriously. SCD affects millions of individuals globally and significantly impacts their quality of life. SCD is an inherited blood disorder that affects the production of red blood cells, causing them to be abnormally crescent-shaped and prone to blockages in blood vessels. […]