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 […]
Conference motions
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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’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 […]
Conference is aware of the escalating levels of cuts in education in Northern Ireland. UNISON members are facing the severe impact of an imposed budget by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland . More than 70 million pounds has been slashed from immediate spending. This follows on from a previous demand that £200 million […]
Conference notes that there is a lack of diversity among field-based operational roles within Energy. This is a real cause for concern as it hinders the creation of an inclusive and welcoming work environment in Energy. Field-based operational roles within Energy are mostly roles that involve lone working, for example monitoring and checking of equipment […]
Conference notes that since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a marked shift towards home or hybrid working in the Energy sector. In pre-pandemic times, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) workers faced challenges in the workplace, including discrimination, harassment and a lack of inclusivity. While we note that there are advantages to agreed […]
Conference notes the significant changes to working patterns and practices that have happened since the pandemic, including a large rise in remote and hybrid working, including in Energy employers. Conference believes greater flexibility should be welcomed where this works for staff – for example, some disabled workers may find more home working is a useful […]
UNISON has approximately 5,000 Health and Safety representatives across the union working hard to defend members’ health and safety at work. Over the past few years health and safety has emerged again as critical for protecting members’ rights at work, especially in the Energy sector. However, the gender balance of Health and Safety representatives in […]
Conference notes that Long Covid is a condition characterised by long term consequences persisting or appearing following a typical convalescence period after having Covid and has affected too many of our members in the Energy service group. From the start of the pandemic, members within the energy group were impacted as we continued to work […]
Conference notes that suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 50 in the UK. In 2020, 75% of those who took their own lives were male. 4,880 men and boys died by suicide, that equates to 12 deaths every day of the year. But it is important to remember that mental health […]
This Conference celebrates the work of the energy service group in developing its ‘Women in Energy’ campaign, which included a successful parliamentary event in Westminster at which MPs, business leaders and UNISON members participated. A key outcome of the campaign was a charter of good practice, designed to enable joint working on some of the […]