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."
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