Louise Nousratpour in Scarborough
Sunday April 26, 2009
The Morning Star
TRADE unionists vowed on Sunday to mobilise in the fight for racial equality in Parliament and the labour movement.
Delegates at the TUC black workers' conference heard calls to organise at the grass roots and the ballot box in response to the glaring shortage of ethnic-minority MPs.
Prospect delegate Satnam Ner pointed out that, of the 659 MPs, only 15 are from ethnic minorities, just two of whom are women.
"According to research, it will take 75 years before we have adequate representation - we cannot wait that long," he told the conference in Scarborough.
"With so many talented and articulate black activists, we must mobilise around a political and practical programme to tackle the issue."
Unite delegate Kingsley Abrams called for parliamentary shortlists to include black candidates.
And Khi Rafe of UNISON urged people to take inspiration from US President Barack Obama.
Removing her shirt to reveal an Obama T-shirt, Ms Rafe said: "This is the first ever black president of the most powerful country in the world.
"He went out into the communities and got in contact with people - black and white, men and women, young and old. That is what we must do."
Guest speaker Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote told delegates on Saturday: "We must not let the legacy of mental slavery hold us back and aim for the top.
"You are the front-line warriors of justice," he said to cheers.
"Find out how many black members you have got and organise them. If you register every black person to vote, we will hold the key to Downing Street."
A separate motion on Friday highlighted the gross under-representation of ethnic-minority members at the top of trade unions.
Some delegates suggested that the movement may unwittingly be suffering from institutional racism.
Moving the motion, CWU delegate Ian Taylor complained that no-one knew the scale of the problem as no research had been carried out.
"Many black people feel that union representation is not matched by the level of membership," he said, calling for a study to address the issue.
UNISON delegate Sharon Foster agreed that the TUC must examine how paid senior officers are recruited "to find whether institutional racism exists in the movement."
Ministers told: Stand up for our rights
Louise Nousratpour in Scarborough
Sunday April 26, 2009
The Morning Star
DELEGATES at the TUC black workers' conference have urged the government to stand firm against big business in defence of racial equality.
In the run-up to Monday's publication of the Single Equality Bill, they stressed the importance of strong equality laws in tackling institutional racism.
Ten years on from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, there has been "little or no progress" on the government's agenda to tackle institutional racism, the conference in Scarborough heard on Saturday.
Speakers vowed to resist any attempt by the government to water down the Bill under pressure from big business trying to use the recession as an excuse to undermine much-needed equality measures.
Prospect delegate Satnam Ner said: "Let us not miss this opportunity and make sure we have a law that stands behind us."
Unions cautiously welcomed the news that, by 2013, private firms could be forced by law to carry out pay audits in a bid to tackle inequality. But business organisations bitterly opposed the measures.
The trade union movement has long called for the public-sector equality duty to be extended to the private sector, which makes up two-thirds of the labour market.
"We cannot allow our brothers and sisters working in the private sector suffer inequality," said Unite delegate Nazir Dar.
She called for measures to ensure that public-sector outsourcing requires equality to be part of the tendering process.
"The Bill must cover all sectors - public, private and voluntary," Ms Dar demanded.
Mr Ner deemed it "unacceptable" that there are no statutory rights for equality representatives, who he stressed play a vital role in ensuring that the law is enforced in the workplace.
Sunday April 26, 2009
The Morning Star
DELEGATES at the TUC black workers' conference have urged the government to stand firm against big business in defence of racial equality.
In the run-up to Monday's publication of the Single Equality Bill, they stressed the importance of strong equality laws in tackling institutional racism.
Ten years on from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, there has been "little or no progress" on the government's agenda to tackle institutional racism, the conference in Scarborough heard on Saturday.
Speakers vowed to resist any attempt by the government to water down the Bill under pressure from big business trying to use the recession as an excuse to undermine much-needed equality measures.
Prospect delegate Satnam Ner said: "Let us not miss this opportunity and make sure we have a law that stands behind us."
Unions cautiously welcomed the news that, by 2013, private firms could be forced by law to carry out pay audits in a bid to tackle inequality. But business organisations bitterly opposed the measures.
The trade union movement has long called for the public-sector equality duty to be extended to the private sector, which makes up two-thirds of the labour market.
"We cannot allow our brothers and sisters working in the private sector suffer inequality," said Unite delegate Nazir Dar.
She called for measures to ensure that public-sector outsourcing requires equality to be part of the tendering process.
"The Bill must cover all sectors - public, private and voluntary," Ms Dar demanded.
Mr Ner deemed it "unacceptable" that there are no statutory rights for equality representatives, who he stressed play a vital role in ensuring that the law is enforced in the workplace.
Black workers call for fight against new crackdown on immigrants
Louise Nousratpour in Scarborough
Sunday April 26, 2009
The Morning Star
BLACK workers have called for a national campaign to expose the failings of the government's "discriminatory" new points-based immigration laws.
The harsh new system, introduced last year, puts financial and skills-based restrictions on migrant workers and international students coming from outside the European Union.
"Migrant workers are already exploited by unscrupulous employers - now they must suffer legalised discrimination by this government," CWU delegate Colin Bell told the TUC black workers' conference on Saturday.
Delegates warned that the measures victimised overseas workers, kept out the poor with financial barriers and forced lecturers to be immigration snoops.
Under the new rules, international students must have proof of large reserves in their bank accounts to be granted entry into Britain and workers are expected to spy on their migrant colleagues.
University and College Union delegate Gargi Bhattcharyya warned of increased pressure on lecturers to spy on their international students.
"They are turning us into snooping agents of the state and legitimising soft racism," she said, asking the labour movement to press for the measures to be scrapped immediately.
UNISON delegate Sushil Munakhya pointed out that, by law, overseas students must register for ID cards at their colleges.
He accused ministers of trying to "sneak in the introduction of ID cards through the back door."
Sunday April 26, 2009
The Morning Star
BLACK workers have called for a national campaign to expose the failings of the government's "discriminatory" new points-based immigration laws.
The harsh new system, introduced last year, puts financial and skills-based restrictions on migrant workers and international students coming from outside the European Union.
"Migrant workers are already exploited by unscrupulous employers - now they must suffer legalised discrimination by this government," CWU delegate Colin Bell told the TUC black workers' conference on Saturday.
Delegates warned that the measures victimised overseas workers, kept out the poor with financial barriers and forced lecturers to be immigration snoops.
Under the new rules, international students must have proof of large reserves in their bank accounts to be granted entry into Britain and workers are expected to spy on their migrant colleagues.
University and College Union delegate Gargi Bhattcharyya warned of increased pressure on lecturers to spy on their international students.
"They are turning us into snooping agents of the state and legitimising soft racism," she said, asking the labour movement to press for the measures to be scrapped immediately.
UNISON delegate Sushil Munakhya pointed out that, by law, overseas students must register for ID cards at their colleges.
He accused ministers of trying to "sneak in the introduction of ID cards through the back door."
Black workers vow to beat racism
Louise Nousratpour in Scarborough
Friday April 24, 2009
The Morning Star
DELEGATES at the TUC black workers conference in Scarborough were on Thursday called to organise against rising racism and fascism in the face of the worst economic crisis since the second world war.
Opening the three-day event, conference chairman Leslie Manasseh and guest speaker TUC president Shelia Bearcroft warned that black workers were disproportionately hit by the recession - both in terms of job losses and racial abuse at work and in society.
Those sections of the economy where Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) workers are over-represented - finance, retail, hospitality, etc - are worst hit by the crisis and consequent job losses, conference heard.
Mr Manasseh pointed to TUC findings last year that unemployment in black communities is still double that in white communities.
Black workers were also being denied promotion and access to training, he said, while suffering disproportionately from workplace bullying and unequal pay.
"In times of recession, black workers will not only be the first ones to lose their jobs, but workplace promotion will fall even lower and racism will flourish as the far-right will use the opportunity to scapegoat black communities," Mr Manasseh warned.
He stressed: "Now is the time to urge colleagues not just to pay their subs but get involved actively.
"Now is the time to make clear what we practically want to change, to organise ourselves and play an equal and leading role in our unions."
Ms Bearcroft, a former factory worker and shop steward, drew attention to far-right group BNP attempts to gain seats at the European Parliamentary elections in June and urged conference to make "special effort" to stop the fascists.
"If we can mobilise all union members and their families and friends to vote on June 4, the BNP will not stand a chance," she said.
"If the BNP wins seats in Europe," she warned, "it will have repercussions far beyond Britain as racist groups across Europe are seeking to create a far-right block in the European Parliament to advance their politics of hate."
Ms Bearcroft ended her address with a few apt words from her father, who was a miner in south Wales: "On this earth there is only one race - the human race."
Racism and the impact of the recession on black and ethnic minority workers are the two major issues being discussed in a series of motions over the weekend.
Friday April 24, 2009
The Morning Star
DELEGATES at the TUC black workers conference in Scarborough were on Thursday called to organise against rising racism and fascism in the face of the worst economic crisis since the second world war.
Opening the three-day event, conference chairman Leslie Manasseh and guest speaker TUC president Shelia Bearcroft warned that black workers were disproportionately hit by the recession - both in terms of job losses and racial abuse at work and in society.
Those sections of the economy where Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) workers are over-represented - finance, retail, hospitality, etc - are worst hit by the crisis and consequent job losses, conference heard.
Mr Manasseh pointed to TUC findings last year that unemployment in black communities is still double that in white communities.
Black workers were also being denied promotion and access to training, he said, while suffering disproportionately from workplace bullying and unequal pay.
"In times of recession, black workers will not only be the first ones to lose their jobs, but workplace promotion will fall even lower and racism will flourish as the far-right will use the opportunity to scapegoat black communities," Mr Manasseh warned.
He stressed: "Now is the time to urge colleagues not just to pay their subs but get involved actively.
"Now is the time to make clear what we practically want to change, to organise ourselves and play an equal and leading role in our unions."
Ms Bearcroft, a former factory worker and shop steward, drew attention to far-right group BNP attempts to gain seats at the European Parliamentary elections in June and urged conference to make "special effort" to stop the fascists.
"If we can mobilise all union members and their families and friends to vote on June 4, the BNP will not stand a chance," she said.
"If the BNP wins seats in Europe," she warned, "it will have repercussions far beyond Britain as racist groups across Europe are seeking to create a far-right block in the European Parliament to advance their politics of hate."
Ms Bearcroft ended her address with a few apt words from her father, who was a miner in south Wales: "On this earth there is only one race - the human race."
Racism and the impact of the recession on black and ethnic minority workers are the two major issues being discussed in a series of motions over the weekend.
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