- Conference
- Date
- June 16, 2017
- Decision
Conference notes:
- The attempts by some politicians and the right-wing media to stoke division through the scapegoating of migrants, refugees and Muslims;
- The election of Donald Trump as US president on a platform that including vicious racism towards Mexicans, Muslims and black people – this will give further encouragement to racists here too;
- That anti-migrant rhetoric has led to violence and opens the door to the growth of racism, Islamophobia and anti-semitism;
- That since the referendum there has been a rise in hate crime principally directed at migrant workers. Whichever way trade unionists voted in the EU referendum, it is vital that we stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees;
- That Muslims are being targeted by the government as an enemy within through the Prevent agenda;
- The emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement reminds us that institutional racism is still prevalent.
Conference believes:
- That we must combat attempts to divide ordinary people and defend the positive role migrant workers play in Britain;
- It is not migrants and refugees that undermine wages and public services, it is government driven cuts and austerity.
Conference therefore resolves to affiliate to Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) and publicise its initiatives to UNISON members.
Birmingham UNISON Branch
NEC POLICY: SUPPORT AND AMEND
88.1
In point 2) delete ‘black’ and replace with “Black”.
In action point (a) after ‘in’ delete ‘Britain’ and replace with “the UK”.
Add new second sentence in action point (b) after ‘austerity.’
“We are committed to Challenging Racism in the Workplace and beyond and welcome and support affiliation to Stand up To Racism, a decision taken by the National Executive Council in January 2017.”
Delete final paragraph and replace with:
“We therefore resolve to continue to fight the increase in racial hatred since the EU referendum vote in 2016 and challenge all forms of discrimination as core aspects of UNISON’s work for 2017 and beyond and publicise these initiatives, and those of our affiliated partners, to members.”
National Executive Council