The Government has finally responded to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee Report on Transgender Equality that was published in January 2016. This wide ranging report recognised that, despite welcome progress in recent years, our society is still failing to support the rights and…Read more…
Unite Policy Conference 2016 – Thursday’s business
I’ve written a report for rs21 which covers the highlights of Thursday’s business. It was a packed day, which included the momentous decision to back mandatory reselection for Labour MPs – something that would not have been supported a few weeks ago.
Unite Policy Conference 2016 – Wednesday’s business
I’ve already posted videos of Jeremy Corbyn’s speech and Sharon Graham’s presentation on the Unite Industrial Strategy – Work, Voice, Pay.
The liveliest debate of the day was around the aftermath of the EU referendum and what UNITE’s position on freed…Read more…
Work, Voice, Pay – Unite Industrial Strategy
At the end of Unite Policy Conference today, Sharon Graham, who leads the Organising and Leverage Department, gave a presentation about a new database which all Unite officers and reps will be able to access online, giving details of agreements at tens…Read more…
Help campaign against FGM and child marriage
Donate now to the UNISON-supported fundraising campaign to support West African activists working to end FGM and child marriage: donate by 18 July and your gift will be doubled
The article Help…Read more…
How are cuts affecting LGBT people and services?
UNISON commissions research on implications of public spending cuts
The article How are cuts affecting LGBT people and services? first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Women’s Personal Protective Equipment: One size does not fit all
Today is National Women in Engineering Day, but for many women it will be another day of coping with ill-fitting and uncomfortable PPE. A new online survey run by Prospect tapped into a deep vein of frustration. Only 29% of the more than 3,000 respondents reported that the PPE they wear is designed…Read more…
‘We must redouble our efforts build the better society Jo spent her life fighting for”
Local government conference hears Hope not Hate’s Nick Lowles call for work to build hope and a better world in memory of murdered MP and union member
The article ‘We must redouble our efforts build…Read more…
Disabled people pulling down barriers across the EU
This week Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson warned of the risks of leaving the EU for disability rights. The response from a Vote Leave spokesman was that the UK outlawed disability discrimination long before the EU did and that “EU governments have a terrible track record in protecting the disabled,…Read more…
Does Steve Hilton’s ‘blue sky thinking’ give the game away on Brexit and pregnancy rights?
Today Steve Hilton, the PM’s friend and former adviser, is making the headlines for declaring his support for Britain to leave the EU. In an article in the Daily Mail he makes his case for Brexit claiming that Britain’s membership of the EU makes the country “literally ungovernable”. He complains:…Read more…
Are we making a difference for equality in your workplace?
Can you spare five minutes to help UNISON win equality in the workplace?
The article Are we making a difference for equality in your workplace? first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
Unions cry foul as European proposals to tackle exploitation of migrants face yellow card
I’ve written before about how the European Union provides the best opportunity to prevent the exploitation of workers who are temporarily posted to other EU countries (and thus the undercutting of the existing workforce.) The best avenue for such action would be revising the EU’s Posted Workers’…Read more…
Work dress codes, high heels, and patent sexism
There are so many problems with the story of Nicola Thorp, the London receptionist who was sent home by her agency, Portico, without pay because she refused to wear high heels, it’s hard to know where to begin. From a health and safety perspective, heels are bad for feet, joints and back. Sorry to…Read more…
Campaigning for LGBT equality in the workplace
On the face of it acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people has never been greater. The passing of legislation ensuring legal parity in marriage for lesbian and gay couples is an…Read more…
Time to make equal pay a reality for women
#STUC16 The STUC is calling for equal pay to be a manifesto commitment for all parties ahead of the Scottish election and for the establishment of an “Equal Pay Employer Scheme” to provide accreditation for equal pay employers. See all reports on the website
Supporting the University and College Union motion, UNISON’s Davena Rankin, who is also the Chair of the STUC Women’s Committee, toldRead more…
BAME workers with all levels of qualifications still face high unemployment
When you are young there is an expectation that if you gain higher educational qualifications it will lead to a decent job and higher wages but this is not always the case, especially when you are a Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) young worker….Read more…
Black, qualified and unemployed: how the figures were found
Today the TUC released analysis showing that for each level of education, BAME adults are significantly more likely to be unemployed than their white counterparts. In this post, I hope to provide a technical discussion about how these figures were calculated. For an important discussion of the…Read more…
Vocational education is letting young women down
Vocational education is confused, and does not guarantee routes into good quality employment “The current system for young people who do not follow an academic route is complex and incoherent, with confusing incentives for young people and employers. Careers advice and education are being delivered…Read more…
Forty years of progress on workplace rights at risk for workers if Britain Brexits
The TUC has published today a legal opinion from prominent legal expert Michael Ford QC – Employment Silk of 2015 – which warns of years of chaos as a post-Brexit government re-regulates British employment law. The advice he has given the TUC lists the workplace rights which are most…Read more…
390,000 women a year are discriminated against in pregnancy yet only 1% take tribunal claim
Today the EHRC published its long awaited report and recommendations on pregnancy discrimination. This follows on from last year’s interim report which found that 54,000 women per year are forced out of their jobs due to pregnancy discrimination. The final report leads with the astounding headline…Read more…