>When will inequality end (The Motherhood Pay Penalty)

> The intersection of sexism and racism mean that often women of colour experience compounded disadvantage. A new report from the Fawcett Society supported by the #EthnicityPayGap Campaign, shows how the ‘Motherhood Pay Penalty’ means that mothers with two children take home 26% less income than women without children which impacts across the earning power […]

Supporting Black members experiencing racism

Despite our continued efforts as union to tackle racism in public service workplaces, continued reports from the Police, Probation, NHS and others demonstrate that significant changes before equality will ever materialise. Conference condemns the slow pace of change and the exclusion of Black workers from discussions about what reforms are necessary. Although an immediate change […]

Fight against microaggressions

Undertone racial tensions in the UK are so commonplace that it seems as if it is deeply rooted in our society and worst of all has the expectance of endurance to those on the receiving end. In August 2022, TUC highlighted that within the working sector microaggressions come in the form of insecure work which […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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’ […]