Criminal Records Bureau Checks

Conference is concerned about the over representation of Black employees targeted for CRB Checks. We are aware that the Criminal Justice system is institutionally racists and that Local Authorities in general are also guilty of institutionalised racism. In addition Conference has seen the inappropriate use of the Police Stop and Search against the Black Community. […]

National Day For Rememberance of Slavery

The Annual General Meeting of the Greater London Region Black Members calls upon the the National Black Members Committee to support the TUC in their call for Government to recognise the 23rd August as the National Day for the Remembrance of Slavery. This date marks a crucial event in the fight against slavery and the […]

Black Children’s Educational Needs

Racism in UNISON

Conference believes all UNISON branches must have clear and transparent policies on equal opportunity and self-organisation groups firmly written into their branch rules. 1)National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC) and National Executive Council (NEC) to endorse the above recommendations with a growing need to tackle racial discrimination or any other form of discrimination within UNISON. 2)To […]

Promotion and Opportunities for Black Employees in Public Services

Conference believes that there is a ceiling of opportunities for promotion of black employees within the public services, in health and local government. The rate of black employees as compared to the black population within the public service employment falls below the acceptable level. Despite the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, which requires public service […]

UNISON’s Opposition to Institutional Racism

Conference notes that this, our tenth anniversary year also sees the tenth anniversary of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. We therefore welcome the fact that the National Executive Council has decided that this year our underlying anniversary theme will be opposing racism and promoting equality. Conference welcomes the fact that UNISON has developed an […]

Institutional Racism:Learning from Experience

Conference welcomes the publication of the report Cyclonic Organisation Authority, Culture and Racism by Lambeth Council and of the report of the Lambeth Scrutiny Commission on Racism. We note that UNISON co-operated in the publication of both of these reports, which highlighted the problem of institutional racism in Lambeth Council. Conference further welcomes the decision […]

Asserting Rights Under Race Relations Act(s)

Text removed for legal reasons

Facility Time Off for Self-Organised Group Members

Currently members are finding it extremely difficult to attend and be actively involved in UNISON. Members have been continuously forced to take annual leave or flexi-time off for UNISON activities. Let us not have a separatist union of Them and Us. If UNISON is serious about equality then it should follow its own equality policies, […]

The Issue of Racism in the Twentieth Century

Conference notes the recent BBC programme blowing the whistle by extremists among Greater Manchester Police recruits. A member of one of the Manchester Local Authority equal opportunity forums indicated that he was horrified that one of the forums had not met in over a year at a time when equal opportunities and race issues are […]

Northern Complainant Aid Fund

Conference is appalled and concerned about the way in which the closure of Northern Complainant Aid Fund (NCAF) was handled by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). NCAF has consistently emerged as the best ever practice model for Race Relations Act (1976) ‘Section 44 funding aimed at assisting organisations concerned with “the promotion of equality […]

National Black Members’ Committee Support for the Development of Self-Organised Groups

The Scottish Region applauds the efforts of the National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC) for their continued encouragement, and support to the regional and setting up of the black members’ self-organised groups at branch level. The Scottish Region believes a lot can still be done, to enable self -organised groups to achieve their potential, in order […]

The British National Party

Conference notes that UNISON is the biggest public sector union with more than one million members, with membership density being concentrated in health and local government – two public services that play a key roles in the lives of all citizens. UNISON therefore has a vital responsibility to work to tackle racism and the attitudes […]

The Rise of the BNP

Black members and black communities are deeply concerned about the rise of the Bristish National Party (BNP) and the election of the BNP to seventeen local authority seats in various parts of the country. Black members are extremely concerned that those charged with mounting effective campaigns against the BNP appear to be sticking to a […]

TUPE

Conference is concerned about the problems linked to complaints about racism in the workplace and the delays in addressing those complaints because employers seek to flout their responsibilities under the TUPE regulations. More public services are being transferred out of local authority control and as a result staff are now finding themselves based in the […]