Category: black members

UNISON announces 2024 Nelson Mandela award winner

UNISON is delighted to announce that Ameen Hadi (above) has won the 2024 Nelson Mandela award.

The award is given to those who exemplify Nelson Mandela’s values of ‘determination, a desire for unity, and strength in the face of injustice’.

In gratitude to a great man who was an honorary member of UNISON, the National Black Members’ Committee continue to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela’s legacy and champion those who live by his standards.

About Ameen

Ameen is a passionate and dedicated anti-racist and advocate for equality, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Within Salford, Ameen has been pivotal to the recruitment and organisation of Black members and activists and has been integral in building our work in social care and significantly increasing Black member representation at all levels of our branch.

He has challenged employers, including Salford City Council on their lack of action in tackling racism and oppression through a combination of offering joint working on training and providing solidarity, but also delivering clear and direct criticism when appropriate.

Beyond Salford, Ameen has utilised his role on the North West Black members committee further develop and support Black members and activists, to campaign on a huge variety of issues and develop links with external organisations like Show Racism the Red Card and Hope Not Hate.

UNISON national equality officer Margaret Greer said:”Ameen’s contribution to UNISON and to tackling racism in the workplace has been immense and is well worthy of this award.”

The article UNISON announces 2024 Nelson Mandela award winner first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON announces 2024 Nelson Mandela Award winner

UNISON is delighted to announce that Ameen Hadi (pictured) has won the 2024 Nelson Mandela Award.

The award is given to those who exemplify Nelson Mandela’s values of ‘determination, a desire for unity, and strength in the face of injustice’.

In gratitude to a great man who was an honorary member of UNISON, the national Black members’ committee continues to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela’s legacy and to champion those who live by his standards.

About Ameen

Ameen is a passionate and dedicated anti-racist and advocate for equality, equity, diversity and inclusion.

In Salford, Ameen has been pivotal to the recruitment and organisation of Black members and activists, and integral in building the union’s work in social care and significantly increasing Black member representation at all levels of the branch.

He has challenged employers – including Salford City Council – on its lack of action in tackling racism and oppression, through a combination of offering joint working on training and providing solidarity, but also delivering clear and direct criticism when appropriate.

Beyond Salford, Ameen has utilised his role on the North West Black members’ committee to help develop and support Black members and activists, to campaign on a huge variety of issues, and develop links with external organisations, including Show Racism the Red Card and Unite against Fascism.

UNISON national equality officer Margaret Greer said: “Ameen’s contribution to UNISON and to tackling racism in the workplace has been immense and is well worthy of this award.”

The article UNISON announces 2024 Nelson Mandela Award winner first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON at Notting Hill Carnival

UNISON have had a significant presence at the Notting Hill Carnival for several years. As UNISON celebrate 30 years, we were delighted that a delegation of UNISON volunteers, banner, flags and t-shirts where present to reflect UNISON’s current campaign priorities including the Year of Black Workers, Ethnicity Pay Gap and Compensation for the Windrush Generation.

The key messages and target for UNISON campaigns to build on our strong links with community groups.

While the huge numbers of people attending are an obvious target to help raise UNISON’s profile, UNISON also network with the organisations and community groups taking part in the Carnival.

We have featured a community organiser from the Carnival as a legacy profile in our Black History Month brochure and use these networks to circulate UNISON campaigns and relevant activities throughout the year. We will also showcase UNISON’s Year of Black Workers merchandise.

The Carnival attracts thousands of young people from a variety of backgrounds, many of whom will be supporters of community cohesion. UNISON recognise with their involvement in this event it is an opportunity to demonstrate our shared values to attract new members interested in all aspects of equality.

Over the two days we were able to promote UNISON’s campaigning activity, including inviting people to join UNISON, Love Music, Hate Racism, Stand Up to Racism and National Education Union around the parade, as well as promote the equality strategy and UNISON’s Year of Black Workers mission statement ‘Establishing Legacy to Generate Change’.

The article UNISON at Notting Hill Carnival first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON at Notting Hill Carnival

UNISON have had a significant presence at the Notting Hill Carnival for several years. As UNISON celebrate 30 years, we were delighted that a delegation of UNISON volunteers, banner, flags and t-shirts where present to reflect UNISON’s current campaign priorities including the Year of Black Workers, Ethnicity Pay Gap and Compensation for the Windrush Generation.

The key messages and target for UNISON campaigns to build on our strong links with community groups.

While the huge numbers of people attending are an obvious target to help raise UNISON’s profile, UNISON also network with the organisations and community groups taking part in the Carnival.

We have featured a community organiser from the Carnival as a legacy profile in our Black History Month brochure and use these networks to circulate UNISON campaigns and relevant activities throughout the year. We will also showcase UNISON’s Year of Black Workers merchandise.

The Carnival attracts thousands of young people from a variety of backgrounds, many of whom will be supporters of community cohesion. UNISON recognise with their involvement in this event it is an opportunity to demonstrate our shared values to attract new members interested in all aspects of equality.

Over the two days we were able to promote UNISON’s campaigning activity, including inviting people to join UNISON, Love Music, Hate Racism, Stand Up to Racism and National Education Union around the parade, as well as promote the equality strategy and UNISON’s Year of Black Workers mission statement ‘Establishing Legacy to Generate Change’.

The article UNISON at Notting Hill Carnival first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON seeks judicial review of home secretary over Windrush

Today is National Windrush Day, marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the passengers of the Empire Windrush to the UK, and celebrating the contribution and achievements of those Caribbean immigrants and many others who followed.

As UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea says in her blog today, if Windrush hadn’t docked at Tilbury, the country wouldn’t also be celebrating the NHS’s 75th birthday this year, because many of the Windrush generation went straight to work in the health service.

But the anniversary comes amid continued controversy over the government’s mistreatment of the Windrush generation.

UNISON is currently working with other parties in a legal challenge against the home secretary, over her decision to abandon three of the recommendations made by the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.

Conducted by Wendy Williams, the review concluded that the Home Office had shown “ignorance and thoughtlessness” on race throughout the Windrush scandal, which came to light in 2018, when it was revealed that members of the Windrush generation were being declared immigration offenders, and were denied access to public services, housing and jobs.

At least 83 people were wrongly deported despite having the right to live and work in the UK.

The review found that immigration regulations were tightened “with complete disregard for the Windrush generation” and officials had made “irrational” demands for multiple documents to establish residency rights.

Ms Williams made 30 recommendations to avoid a repeat of the scandal, and the then-home secretary Priti Patel confirmed an action plan to implement them.

Key amongst these recommendations was a commitment to create the post of a migrants’ commissioner, who would be responsible for speaking up for migrants and identifying systemic problems within the UK immigration system.

However, in January this year the current home secretary, Suella Braverman, decided to abandon the commitment to the commissioner role, together with the pledges to strengthen the powers of the immigration watchdog and to run reconciliation events with Windrush families.

UNISON believes that both the migrants’ commissioner and a strengthened watchdog would help to protect against a future ‘Windrush scandal’, allowing for greater protections for migrant workers and act as a break on yet more inhumane policies towards refugees.

The union is hoping for a judicial review of the home secretary’s actions, to which end it is currently working alongside a civil rights group and a private individual (not a UNISON member). All parties are currently waiting to hear from the courts, as to whether they can proceed.

If so, the union’s legal team will argue that UNISON has campaigned heavily against the government on this issue; that it has members who have suffered; and that the removal of the promises made by government will also impact detrimentally on its migrant members.

UNISON head of legal Shantha David said today: “A number of the Windrush generation found out, almost overnight, that they had lost their right to live in the UK. They’d lost their homes, their families, their status and their sense of belonging.

“The Lessons Learned Review went somewhere towards acknowledging the appalling treatment towards them. However, the home secretary’s refusal to carry out these three of the review’s crucial recommendations is devastating for those involved.

“This is why UNISON is determined to mount a legal challenge”.

UNISON policy officer Narmada Thiranagama added: “UNISON is committed to fighting for justice for members affected by the Windrush scandal and the hostile environment.

“Whether it’s in the workplace, in Parliament or in the courts, we are determined to tackle racism and win better treatment for migrant workers in this country.”

 

 

The article UNISON seeks judicial review of home secretary over Windrush first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: We can’t truly commemorate Windrush until we have justice

Today, on Windrush Day, we mark 75 years since the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in Essex after travelling from Jamaica. The post-war arrival of this generation of Commonwealth citizens transformed the UK and our trade union movement, as their work helped build our public services.

If Windrush had never docked in the UK, we wouldn’t be celebrating 75 years of our treasured NHS this year, because many of the Windrush generation went straight to work in the health service.

Although we celebrate the arrival of the Windrush generation, we cannot adequately commemorate the day until those caught up in the Windrush scandal experience some measure of justice.

This country had taken the best years of their lives, but rather than give them gratitude and a peaceful retirement, the government served them with demeaning letters telling them to leave.

Many lost their homes, families, health and even, tragically, their lives. Denied access to public services they helped to build and treated like second class citizens in the country they had made their home.

The compensation scheme was deeply flawed – slow, burdensome for claimants and with mostly pitiful payments. Then Suella Braverman reneged on the government’s commitments laid out in Wendy Williams’s independent review.

Commitments that UNISON had campaigned for. So we’re fighting it in the High Court, campaigning in parliament and organising in workplaces.

Last year on Windrush Day I said that UNISON would always stand with the Windrush generation – and all migrant workers.

I stand true to these words today.

During UNISON’s Year of Black Workers we can all take this opportunity to double down in our efforts. UNISON branches are busy organising and supporting our migrant worker members who are still facing the Home Office’s hostile environment.

And UNISON resources will continue to go on defending them as equal workers and equal citizens in the UK.

The article Blog: We can’t truly commemorate Windrush until we have justice first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON presents Dr Neville Lawrence with honorary membership

Today UNISON presented Dr Neville Lawrence, father of Stephen Lawrence (pictured), with honorary union membership for life. 

Presenting the membership at UNISON’s 2023 national delegate conference in Liverpool, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea described how the union has had ‘a long history’ of working with Stephen Lawrence’s parents, Dr Neville Lawrence and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, who have both received honorary union memberships.

Mr Lawrence recounted to delegates how the trade union movement was fundamental to his family’s battle for justice over the murder of their son, Stephen Lawrence. 

“Black members came to my house one morning and said ‘we will help you, we need you to get involved in the union.’

“I remember when I had just come to the country and in order to get to work in those days, if you didn’t have a union card, you could not get through those gates. And there I was again, going to the unions to ask them to help me to get the people who had murdered my son convicted.

“I went to a conference in Blackpool, and we took leaflets. A man had told me: ‘If you come to the conference, there will be members of different unions inside the conference, and they will take your request all over England’.

“I am standing here 30 years later because of you, and all the other different unions who have been with us over the past 30 years.”

Mr Lawrence explained that he ‘did not realise what racism was until I came to this country’.

“I knew there were differences between races, but I didn’t know that hatred could be so bad that you would see an innocent person standing at a bus stop, waiting to go home, and then decide to kill him.

“My life has been turned upside down, and I am saying to you: without the help of all the different unions who have been by my family’s side, maybe I wouldn’t be standing here.

“Thank you very much for being with us. I hope that you continue to support my family.”

Mr Lawrence’s address was met with a standing ovation from conference delegates.

The article UNISON presents Dr Neville Lawrence with honorary membership first appeared on the UNISON National site.

‘Let’s raise the bar,’ Christina McAnea tells Black members

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea delivered a passionate speech at the union’s annual national Black members’ conference in Edinburgh this afternoon.

The conference, which runs until 22 January, is the first in-person Black members’ conference since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 revealed the truth, didn’t it?” Ms McAnea said. “Of institutional racism, for all to see. Black workers are more likely to be on the frontline, more likely to be low-paid, over-exposed to risks, offered less protection and more likely to suffer.”

Ms McAnea announced the union’s mission to “establish a legacy to generate change” with the Year of Black. Workers. 

“Our aim is to win fair pay so that you and your families can live the decent lives you deserve, so that our public services can recruit and retain staff and provide the services we all rely on.”

Paying tribute to the many UNISON members who have been taking strike action in recent weeks, she told delegates: “UNISON has had wall to wall coverage. Newspapers and social media plastered with purple and green images from picket lines across the country.”

“I’ve probably met some of you on the picket line. Those I’ve spoken to have told me what a difficult decision it is to go on strike. I understand. We all understand. But I am incredibly proud of our members for staying strong.”

Ms McAnea condemned the anti-strike bill, which the government is rushing through Parliament at breakneck speed. “Instead of sitting down to negotiate us, this government decides to bring in new legislation to remove workers’ rights.

“But when this government tries to divide, and encourage discrimination, we in UNISON don’t just walk away. We face it and challenge it. When racist views and race hate grow and spread, we cut it off at the roots.”

Ms McAnea announced that she has today written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman for “cast iron reassurances” that the recommendations from the Windrush Lessons Learned review will be implemented.

The review had included the input and involvement of UNISON members. Ms McAnea quoted one member who had lost his job after 15 years of dedicated service as saying “I’d done nothing wrong, I was doing a fantastic job. To be told, basically, you’re an illegal immigrant, you have no right to be in that job, and you have to leave the premises.

“On that day, you could have pulled my heart out and chucked it on the floor. They took everything out of me: my confidence, my self-esteem, who I am. It tore me apart.”

Ms McAnea continued: “Each one of us has a moral duty to stand against this hostility” and affirmed the union’s commitment to organise and fight for migrant workers.

“I want to live in a country with an immigration policy that treats migrant people with decency and dignity. Along with 19 other signatories, we are calling on employers to refuse to work with the Home Office on immigration raids in our workplaces and our communities.”

Ms McAnea also declared the union’s commitment to “keep our own house in order” through its own race protocol. She said: “If things aren’t working, if there are problems and issues, we cannot shy away from it.”

“We will review the way UNISON delivers for Black members, and we will not be afraid to change where we have to.”

Concluding her speech, Ms McAnea said: “I know that together we will make this year a great success. Let’s raise the bar – make a noise – be difficult. And make the voices of all our Black members heard loud and clear.

“Let’s use this year to get more Black activists right across our union. Let’s change our union.

The power to create that change comes from you – from all of us”.

The article ‘Let’s raise the bar,’ Christina McAnea tells Black members first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: Power and unity – the theme for this year’s Black History Month

When the contribution of Black Britons to society is undervalued, overlooked, ignored or distorted so much, it’s important to keep a sharp focus on promoting a positive culture. A culture that allows learning, openness and inclusivity to flourish.

Because Black people have been a fundamental part of British history and have had a global impact since time began.

That’s also why Black History Month is so important to the trade union movement and to UNISON. The struggle for positive change in the workplace is intrinsically linked to fighting racism and discrimination and wouldn’t be possible without Black workers and Black trade unionists’ constant contribution. 

This year’s theme encourages a deeper discussion about how Black people have come together to create that change in society. And as always, it is a time to reflect on the achievements of members from the Black community. 

Britain’s Black History Month was started by Akyaaba Addi-Sebo in October 1987. When it first started there was a big focus on Black American history, but this has become less so overtime, and attention is now drawn to the contribution of Black Britons and their Black history, with key figures from across the UK becoming more prominent.

We all now know that COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on Black workers and communities – working on the front line, exposed to COVID-19 and in insecure jobs.

This only compounded widespread institutional racism, so it is vital to focus our minds on challenging racism in the workplace, by having those broader conversations about deep-rooted racism. 

I am so proud of UNISON’s work on fighting discrimination. We produced guidelines on Challenging Racism in the Workplace and continue to campaign to close the ethnicity pay gap.

We’ve supported many of our members caught up in the Windrush scandal, and those affected by the devastating impact of the hostile environment policy that’s seen migrant workers, asylum seekers, refugees and their families torn apart.

Most recently, we’ve been campaigning against the government’s Rwanda policy, adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia and signed up to the Anti-Racism Charter.

UNISON will continue to be at the forefront of championing Black members’ issues and making a difference. Because powerful change can only come if we work together in unity to eradicate it.

The article Blog: Power and unity – the theme for this year’s Black History Month first appeared on the UNISON National site.