Blog: Honouring Stephen, Doreen and Neville Lawrence

On Saturday 22 April, we will mark the 30th anniversary of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. Each anniversary marks a year of life denied to Stephen, who was only 18 when he died.

Our hearts go out to his parents, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Neville Lawrence for whom this day, thirty years ago, was the start of their courageous battle for justice. They took on not only Stephen’s murderers, but the police force that failed Stephen at every turn.

UNISON was proud to stand with Stephen’s parents from the very start, offering whatever support we could. Our commitment remains to this day.

This year, UNISON will be giving Doreen and Neville Lawrence honorary life membership as a mark of respect for their enormous contributions to fight racism across UK society. The honour will be ours.

By challenging the racism that led to Stephen’s death, Doreen and Neville Lawrence challenged an entire society to change and transform itself. We have all benefited from their work. But we still see, across the world, that the lives of Black people are not valued.

UNISON pays tribute to the work of the Lawrence family through our commitment to fighting racism in workplaces and institutional barriers in the workplace, in society and in the trade union movement. In doing so, I am well aware that this fight is not over.

Only a few years ago the government announced that ‘institutional racism’ didn’t exist, only for us all to witness the stark reality of racism laid bare in the pandemic.

We saw its impact on Black workers on the pandemic frontline and we saw its effect on communities already ravaged by deprivation and inequality. And now, the public and politicians are becoming more aware of how much work still remains to be done to tackle institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia in our police forces.

In Stephen’s terrible death, and the justice and help denied to him, we saw the deadliest form that racism can take. But racism can worsen lives by a thousand small cuts, impoverishing lives and life chances.

As UNISON general secretary, I will always ensure that tackling racism in all its forms remains at the core of our work.

The article Blog: Honouring Stephen, Doreen and Neville Lawrence first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Ramadan 2023: Your rights at work

The holy Muslim month of Ramadan is due to begin on Wednesday 22 March, with the first fast from sunrise to sunset on Thursday 23 March.

Eid-al-Fitr, the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan, is expected to fall on Saturday 22 April. 

During this important holy period for Muslims, UNISON reminds both workers and employers that it is within the Equality Act 2010 for all employers to ensure flexible working and provide reasonable adjustments for workers wishing to observe Ramadan, which includes fasting, prayers, charity and reflecting on the Quran.

During Ramadan, Muslims spend a period of 30 days abstaining from food and drink, including water, during daylight hours, as a means of celebrating and reflecting on their faith.

Iftar, the meal that breaks the fast when the sun has set, is often shared with family and the local community. Traditionally, the fast is broken with a date (pictured above).

Workplace advice: flexible working

Tell MAMA have produced useful employers’ guidance on how Muslims can be supported at work during Ramadan.

Advice includes:

  • consider the energy levels of staff, especially where work is physically demanding, and where possible, scheduling meetings earlier in the day and avoiding evening meetings or work events
  • avoid scheduling lunchtime events
  • be fair and considerate in the distribution of additional rest breaks
  • as the month of Ramadan is aligned with the lunar calendar, Eid-al-Fitr has no fixed date. Employers are encouraged to be flexible with their annual leave requests from Muslim workers around this time.

Guidance from ACAS and the EHRC provides employers with a range of best practices during the holy month, for example, by allowing Muslim staff longer on Fridays for Jummah prayers, by arriving or starting their working day earlier.

A 2021 survey of British Muslims on support from employers during Ramadan found that the most supportive adjustment (desired by 69% of recipients) was flexible shift patterns, followed by team members understanding what Ramadan means to them (60%), and annual leave for the final days of Ramadan (58%).

Wishing all UNISON members Ramadan Mubarak, UNISON national officer for racial equality Margaret Greer said: “Ramadan is a time of self-reflection, giving and togetherness. For our Muslim members, this is an important time of the year to give thanks for the blessings and express gratitude in one’s life.

“It is important that UNISON Muslim members feel supported in the workplace and employers ensure and understand their needs at this spiritual and cherished time.”

The article Ramadan 2023: Your rights at work first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON celebrates International Women’s Day in Glasgow

On Wednesday 8 March, UNISON delegates from across the UK celebrated International Women’s Day in Glasgow.

The day-long event, organised by the Scottish region, included a walking tour of women’s organising and trade union history in Glasgow, a workshop on how to tackle sexual harassment at work and in the union movement and a panel discussion on the achievements of Scottish Black women.

Addressing attendees on the day, UNISON Scottish secretary Tracey Dalling said: “We come together to celebrate each other. We draw breath as we push on in achieving equality and equity not just for ourselves but for the women coming after us.

“Never ever pull up the ladder. As we say in Glasgow, there’s always room for a wee one.”

The evening’s entertainment featured live music from Yvonne Leon (pictured), Soundsational choir, Shaz Martin and Broghan.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “We all rely on women workers every day, and they carried us all through the pandemic. Their work is often undervalued and underpaid, but UNISON knows the true value.”

UNISON project lead Beth Bickerstaffe said: “The event was designed to celebrate the contributions of UNISON women and women throughout trade union history.

“It’s important that the union movement celebrates and values our women activists and makes sure to invigorate those who are normally on the frontline defending our members.”

UNISON is the largest women’s organisation in the UK, representing over one million members.

The article UNISON celebrates International Women’s Day in Glasgow 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.

‘A struggle is a struggle. That’s why we’ve got to stick together’

UNISON president Andrea Egan says she’s given her life to the trade union movement. A committed UNISON and local government activist of over three decades in Bolton, she “couldn’t be prouder” to be from the North West,

Describing how the union has given her the resources and space to help make a difference, she noted: “As a working-class woman, it’s allowed me to really fulfil that deep sense of how unfair and unequal society is, and has allowed me a platform to do that work and given me a structure to influence change.”

Ms Egan’s organising track record is strong: leading UNISON’s first industrial action against academisation of two Bolton secondary schools in 2008; organising to stop the closure of local childrens’ centres; pushing for trans policies in her local council and fighting tirelessly for disability inclusion.

It’s unsurprising that she believes that collective organising is where UNISON is most powerful.

“We’re an organising union. When you’re organised and winning, it attracts people to join the union, as opposed to just servicing.”

Servicing, she explains, is the ‘insurance policy’ feature of unions, that promises protection in case of any workplace issues. For Ms Egan, although this “can’t be the main focus of who we are”, the two features of the union aren’t mutually exclusive.

“In my branch, if somebody rings and there’s a disciplinary or a grievance, we consider: ‘Can that be a collective grievance?’ If it’s an issue of wages or bullying, we consider: ‘Who else in that workplace is suffering from that same issue?’

“We try to collectivise the issues. We’ve supported campaigns when employers want to target or have failed one member, and other workers have stepped forward. We have organised those workers to stand together to take action.”

Referencing successful UNISON campaigns in the region from rehabilitation workers in Wigan to winning the living wage for commissioned care workers across Greater Manchester, Ms Egan said “we can see the model of organising in all of those wins.”

Given that UNISON members work within public services, Ms Egan recognises the union holds a unique position in its capacity to engage the public and local communities.

“I’ve led some fantastic campaigns, which were only fantastic through the engagement of the community. We often forget that.

“During the academy campaign, I would attend branch committee and remind our stewards: ‘Don’t forget, this isn’t just about the children’s section fighting the academy programme. It’s about you – grandparents, parents, aunties and uncles who have kids in those schools. You’ve all got a part to play’.”

Equalities

As newly-appointed president of UNISON’s national executive council, Ms Egan is keen to lend her power to amplify issues of equality. She said: “I use every power and opportunity I’ve got, and I won’t leave any equality group behind. We’ve got to do whatever we can where people are disadvantaged, or there’s a potential for them to be treated differently and unequally in the workplace.”

Ms Egan is a proud trans ally and recently celebrated the launch of UNISON’s new trans equality campaign: “Being president of the largest union in the UK gives me a platform to be able to advocate and be a trans ally. I’ve always been an ally.

“I might be a white, heterosexual, able-bodied female, but that doesn’t mean I cannot understand what [trans people] are going through. As a white working-class woman, brought up by a single mum on a housing estate, I understand struggle.

“A struggle is a struggle. That’s why we’ve got to stick together.”

Ms Egan at UNISON’s trans equality campaign launch

As her presidential project, Ms Egan has chosen the Endeavour Project in Bolton, which supports survivors of domestic abuse and “doesn’t leave anyone behind”. The organisation offers a pet fostering service, to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse don’t have to give up their pets or leave them with abusers.

Every July, the organisation coordinates a ramble on Holcombe Moor in memory of Ellen Strange, and also honours the women who have been killed by domestic abuse in the past 12 months, which Ms Egan attends as part of group of local UNISON members.

As president of the UK’s biggest trade union at a time where the government are openly targeting unions, Ms Egan recognises UNISON is facing a “massive challenge”

In response to Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss’s statement that she will crack down on trade unions, Ms Egan said: “It’s not solely an attack on the trade unions, it’s an attack on the working class, because it’s the trade unions who organise the working class and have the power to give people a voice.

“When Truss says she wants to undo all the red tape, that won’t just affect union members, it affects the whole of society and all the things we’ve worked for.”

The article ‘A struggle is a struggle. That’s why we’ve got to stick together’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.