Conference welcomes the Council of Europe’s initiative to draft a Convention on action against Trafficking in Human Beings, as this will be the first international treaty, which sets out states’ obligations to respect and protect the rights of trafficked people. Conferences strongly urges the national union to support the measures in the Convention to provide […]
Conference motions
Conference expresses its deep concern that the leader of Burma’s democracy movement, Nobel Prize winner Aung Sun Suu Kyi, has now spent more than nine years under house arrest. Confernce notes that there are currently serious questions about her personal secruity; observes that, despite Burma’s military dictatorship announcing several initiatives to move towards democracy, prospects […]
Last year there was an excellent motion from Yorkshire & Humberside region (Motion 13) which when amended provided a clear strategy for challenging race in employment. What we need however is to challenge more effectively using a range of strands to an overall strategy of exposing racism within schools from Early Years to Higher Educational […]
A real opportunity is with us to radically change how we as black workers are valued in the public sector. Workforce remodelling is being pursued in all areas of the services that we provide but how are the rights and professional development needs of black workers being considered? Many black members in UNISON are still […]
We all know that we need to increase black member recruitment, retention and development into activists, but we are hindered by the quality and accuracy of data that the branches, regions and employer provide to the regional and branch black member sog structures. Therefore Conference calls upon the NBMC to work with the NEC to […]
With Agenda for Change (AFC) now being implemented there are major problems in delivering it throughout the health service. Many employees have had wage deductions and will receive worse terms and conditions. It is well known that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff make up a large proportion of low paid workers and have already […]
More public services are being transferred out of the public sector and as a result members are now finding themselves based in the private sector where the lack of statutory duty under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 with private sector employers results in less protection against race discrimination in the workplace. Conference notes the […]
Conference notes the increasingly low number of Black disabled people in employment. Recent statistics have highlighted that Black and Minority Ethnic staff make up a large proportion of low paid staff. It is well-known that disabled people are disadvantaged in the work place and that Black disabled workers are suffering a double disadvantage. Recent studies […]
Conference welcomes the government’s recognition that migrant workers are an essential part of the UK economy and that Britain must continue to provide a safe haven for people fleeing persecution and violence. Conference does, however, note that the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill, currently going through Parliament, is the sixth piece of such legislation in […]
Black People Behind Bars This conference notes that between June 1998 and June 1999 there was an overall reduction of some two percent of the prison population of England and Wales. Yet over the same period there was a small percentage increase in the number of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) prisoners. This highlights a […]
Conference congratulates Communities Scotland for research into ensuring equality for older LGBT people in housing provision and for the publication of the extremely practical booklet. This research was carried out in conjunction with older LGBT people in Scotland and involved input from various agencies including UNISON. The research has produced an extremely useful “housing and […]
Conference congratulates the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) for updating its CILIP Equal Opportunities Briefing “Sexual Orientation in Libraries”. It is intended to facilitate equality of opportunity for Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals and Transgendered people using, or working in, all types of library and information services. This information will prove to be […]
Conference notes that: 1.For several years until 2003 UNISON National Lesbian and Gay Conferences offered a facility for regional delegation meetings on Friday and Saturday evenings though some regional delegations chose to meet only on Friday; 2.In 2004 the facility for Saturday evening regional delegation meetings was withdrawn without consultation with every regional Lesbian and […]
Conference notes the publication of “Homophobia – Taking No Pride in Prejudice” by Glasgow City Council as part of its commitment to address all forms of prejudice and discrimination in Glasgow. Conference congratulates Glasgow City Council for this excellent piece of research which raises awareness of homophobia and its effects on the lives of Lesbians […]
Conference applauds efforts already made by individual members, branch and regional groups, branches and the National LGBT Committee to promote the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 [‘The Regulations’]. Conference is concerned, however, that a large number of members, stewards and branch officers are still unaware of the provisions of ‘The Regulations’. Further, in order […]