Conference is concerned by the increase in shared service working involving the transfer of business to private companies; this is not a shared service it is outsourcing. Conference motions on this issue have been before you – motion 13 in 2005, motions 2 and 6 in 2006 and motion 9 in 2007. The Trade Union […]
Conference motions
Conference is appalled that police forces are using the notion of flexible working to pursue an agenda of rationalisation which in reality is a cost cutting exercise and one based on more ‘for less’. UNISON condemns this practice that requires our members to work longer hours for no increase in salary, a pay cut by […]
The presentation on legal migration is concerned with policy on the admission of workers to Britain for employment and on the entitlement of such workers once admitted. Government policy on economic migration was set out in the five year strategy announced in February 2005, “Controlling out Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain”. Among other things […]
Conference notes the alarming figures outlined in a research highlighting poverty amongst black groups. In April 2007 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a report confirming that the poverty rate for Britain’s minority ethnic groups stands at 40%, double the 20% found amongst white British people. Minority ethnic groups are also being overlooked for jobs […]
Conference notes the recent spate of knife, gang and gun-related murders of Black youths is deeply concerning. However, former Prime Minister, Tony Blair’s comments that Black communities fail to denounce these crimes and that Black culture is responsible for these tragedies is completely wrong. Black community groups and activists have highlighted that government response to […]
UNISON’s delegation to the National Assembly Against Racism AGM held in November 2007 heard a speech from Sakira Singh. Sakira Singh, a 14 year old school girl from South Wales has been repeatedly excluded from school because of wearing an article of faith – the Kara – that represents her belief. Prior to her exclusion, […]
An article cited in the Birmingham Metro newspaper, dated 31st October 2007, titled ‘Police do stop more Blacks’ referred to Black people being seven times more likely to be stopped and searched by Police than Whites. In addition the Ministry of Justice report confirmed that an extra 14,000 Black people were targeted by Stop and […]
The Equality Act 2006 dissolved the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission; to make provision about discrimination on grounds of religion or belief; to enable provision to be made about discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation; to impose duties relating to sex discrimination on persons performing public functions; […]
At UNISON National Delegate conference in 2007 held in Brighton, Motion 12 – Under Participation and Headed “Black Members Self Organised Group – Possible Name Change” suggested that the title “Black Members Self Organised Group” was no longer adequate to reflect the ethnic diversity of our membership and could even prevent workers from Eastern European […]
Conference notes that education at all ages is essential to empower ourselves and challenge racism in society. In most cases school is the first introduction to formal education. The government has revealed that the number of pupils excluded on the grounds of racist bullying rose by 29% between 2004 and 2005. There are concerns that […]
Conference notes that in a context of rising racism against all Black communities Muslims have been particularly singled out and targeted. The largest project monitoring Islamophibia undertaken following the events of September 11 by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) in 2002 published the “Summary report on Islamophibia in the EU”. The […]
Conference notes that in 2007 the National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC)have supported the UNISON Health Service Group to develop a toolkit for Black workers to become activists. This resource highlights a series of steps to address Black under-representation, including guidance on how to become a steward, how to set up a Black members’ group, how […]
Climate change is the single greatest threat to the future development of humanity. It is estimated that by the year 2100, average temperatures will have risen by six degrees, if governments fail to act in the next ten years there will be catastrophic consequences in the future. The results of such climate change will be […]
Conference notes the British National Party (BNP) is a fascist organisation that denies the Holocaust and multiculturalism. It stands for creating an all white Britain, the destruction of trade unions and the elimination of basic democratic rights. The BNP has 49 councillors and polled a record 292,911 votes in May 2007. The May 2008 London […]
Conference notes that President Hugo Chavez’s government in Venezuela has introduced a number of inspiring social reforms since his first election in 1998. Previously, despite Venezuela’s oil wealth, 80% of the population, mostly people of African, indigenous Indian and mixed-race origin, lived below the poverty line without access to basic services. Now, for the first […]