Stephen lawrence- 20 years on

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013 THE VOICE | 17

BRITAIN’S TRADE UNIONS PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE CAMPAIGNING YEARS

PAGES 17-32

THE VOICE NEWSPAPER LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE SONGWRITING COMPETITION:

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

Doreen Lawrence

The Road to Justice UNITY

Trade Union Tribute Edition

18 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

UNITY TRADE UNION TRIBUTE EDITION

Join the TUC campaign for

‘A Future That Works’

Comment by Wilf Sullivan, Race Equality Officer, TUC & Guest Supplement Editor

W

elcome to part one of this special trade union supplement of The Voice, with part two due to be published on 31 October of this year, where in the second part we will be paying tribute to Mrs. Doreen Lawrence and Dr. Martin Luther King roads to justice.

As well as examining some of the issues that face black people in the workplace, this edition launches a brand new song writing competition titled: ‘A Song for Stephen’, it also looks at the lessons we can learn from the Stephen Lawrence campaign, and celebrates Doreen Lawrence becoming a baroness.

The winners of The Voice Newspaper’s ‘A Song for Stephen’ competition will be featured on a CD and a significant part of the proceeds from the sale of the CD will be donated to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

STRUGGLE The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, like other organisations is facing hard times due to cuts of grant funding in the voluntary sector. The TUC and the trade unions believe that it is vital for the Trust to survive. That is why the TUC is working with The Voice and the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and is proud to back ‘A Song for Stephen’.

For trade unionists The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust is more than a charity to help young people and more than a monument to help us remember the tragic death of Stephen.

It symbolises the struggle against institutional racism in our criminal justice system and throughout the rest of society.

Its legacy is that it provides a focus for the continuing struggles of black communities against public institutions whose structures and processes inevitably result in racist outcomes.

INSECURITY Unfortunately these problems have not gone away. Since the financial crash of 2008 life has become much tougher for black workers in the workplace.

In public services where many black people are employed, workers are living with the constant threat of redundancy as public sector spending cuts bite. In the private sector

AUSTERITY: Trade Union Congress anti-cuts protesters head to Westminster

Wilf Sullivan, Race Equality, TUC many black workers are doing low paid jobs and a pay rise is something that people only dream of. Increasingly bosses are turning to temporary and zero hours contracts with the result that many workers do not have a guaranteed weekly or monthly income. This combined with cuts in welfare benefits and increasing rises in the cost of food, transport and other essentials are putting a squeeze on household incomes

and increasing levels of poverty in black communities.

For many black workers the workplace has turned into a place of fear and insecurity fear that their work is going to be criticised; fear that they may be subjected to racist bullying and harassment; fear that if they are sick that it will held against them and ultimately of course the fear of losing their job.

Many workers in this situation believe that the only course of action is to stay quiet hoping that by keeping their heads down and putting up with being overworked, harassed, and the stress that results they will escape the attention of management and not be identified for redundancy.

FIGHT Whilst this may seem a solution in the short term ultimately we need to come together to fight for something better in the workplace and in society.

That is why black workers need to be in a trade union. Strong trade unions are a vital part of any fair and prosperous society. Societies with weak unions are less fair and more unequal – and that holds back econom-

Doreen and Neville Lawrence twenty years ago ic growth and this is the case in Britain today.

Black workers have an important role to play to help build strong trade unions that not only fight for policies that revive our economy but that are in the forefront of the fight against racism. Some black workers believe that trade unions are not committed to fighting racism and it is true that there are challenges to make the movement more representative and to tackle more

issues that concern black workers and the black community.

However the necessary changes that need to take place in trade unions will not happen if we are not members and involved in making sure that their agendas reflect our needs.

The reality is that for government, public policy makers and many employers, race is off the agenda. It is only through our own efforts that we can ensure that the need for anti-racism stays in the fore-

front of public discussion. Only through organising ourselves in the workplace and beyond can we hope to improve things for ourselves and for the next generation. Black communities have a proud tradition of fighting against racism in the workplace through their trade unions and in the wider community. The Stephen Lawrence campaign has come to represent our determination never to give up. Now is the time to stand up and demand something better.

That is why the TUC is campaigning for a future that works, for jobs, fair pay, investment in our economy and better public services. For fairness at work, an end to discrimination and harassment, for proper employment laws that protect us, and for an end to the ‘divide and rule’ politics that are poisoning our society.

It’s time for us all to stand up and join this struggle.

Sponsored by:

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013 THE VOICE | 19

How about a song for Stephen?

Comment by Jacqueline Asafu-Adjaye, Sponsored Features Editor

F

or better or for worse, Stephen Lawrence is a name that has hit the headlines time and time again - whether to bring us together as one nation to stand against racism at the Unity concert, or cause us to shake our heads in utter disbelieve when reading Still I Rise Doreen Lawrence’s autobiography, where we learn of the major challenges the Lawrence family faced throughout in getting justice for Stephen.

Stephen Lawrence has been mentioned in every newsroom up and down the United Kingdom, over the last twenty years.

Journalists have greyed, and have undoubtedly grown either more cynical or philosophical during the long

years following the ‘story’ that broke in 1993, and observing in the years that proceeded the unfolding of its ‘rough justice’.

Some have gone on to become editors, others may have retired, or have even left journalism altogether, but all I suspect would have continued to follow the steps of this campaign, in their own way because of Mrs Lawrence’s sheer courage and persistence over a simple request for fairness.

UNITED Twenty years on, the mainstream and ethnic media agreed unanimously to run free adverts for weeks promoting the Unity Concert, the Stephen Lawrence Charitable fundraiser. Because whether you write for the: Mirror, The Sun, Daily Mail, The Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph, Guardian or The Voice the British media is united on this point: Stephen Lawrence de-

served to live and that there was certainly nothing British in his murder.

MEMORY No newsroom provides the luxury of a quiet moment to gather your thoughts, least of all that of The Voice- where ideas and demands come at you at a galloping pace, and you are too whipped by deadlines to realise you’ve just had a profound moment. But over a working lunch with Wilf Sullivan, Race Equality Officer for the TUC, at The Voice office, we had exactly one of those so called ‘moments’. It came as I sat staring at the screen. I was miles away, as I read and re-read Doreen Lawrence’s quote around the work of the Stephen Lawrence’s Charitable Trust and the Stephen Lawrence Award, which was set up in memory of Stephen’s unrealised potential and ambition to become an architect.

“A songwriting competition that inspires the next generation and brings unity across communities regardless to our differences in colour, creed or class” I found a sense of peace in the words of Mrs Lawrence’s quotewhat we had in her words, was a rare glimpse of Stephen.

Stephen without the campaign banner and the cloak of murder, the twists and turns of the investigation and its injustice, it’s lack of closure. In her words we rediscovered a Stephen that was very ordinary yet extraordinary.

Wilf broke my train of thoughts by suggesting I listened to the track playing on

his iPhone - we had been talking about how certain song writers pushed the envelopeand challenged the status quo and got us thinking: “The guy is gifted” said Wilf, referring to Akala’s lyrical prowess.

And so was Stephen Lawrence. He was gifted and he’d probably have given David Adjaye, the architect, a run for his money if he was still around today.

SONG We wondered what music Stephen would have been into around the time he was taken from us and what tune he would have downloaded from iTunes had he been around today.

I suddenly thought, there ought to be ‘A Song for Stephen’, one that expressed the life he was about to live - one penned by talented song writers - young people from multiethnic backgrounds and sung by multiethnic celebrities, united

by one note that pours out the essence of Stephen Lawrence that leaves us hooked and resonates who he was and what he means to us today.

“How about, ’A Song for Stephen’ - a songwriting competition that inspires the next generation and brings unity across communities regardless of our differences in colour, creed or class - would the TUC and their members back it?” I asked Wilf.

And to their credit they have.

‘A Song for Stephen’, song writing competition, call for entry with competition details opens for nominations on 31 October 2013, visit: www.voice-online.co.uk for more information.

In association with:

20 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

UNITY TRADE UNION TRIBUTE EDITION

The Lawrence Connection ‘Rock the boat’ Baroness Lawrence tells TUC

The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has urged workers to speak up in offices, factories and during their tea breaks to tackle inequality in the workplace.

Baroness Lawrence told the TUC Congress in Bournemouth that employees should “rock the boat” to improve conditions and boost the job prospects of young people.

She highlighted the fact that more than half of 18 to 24-year-old black men are unemployed compared with a national figure of 25 percent.

“The inequality facing young men and women is preventing them taking part in society to the best of their ability. In some ways we seem to be going backwards,” she said. Baroness Lawrence added that there are too few “role models” in senior areas of Government.

Baroness Lawrence receives a standing ovation after addressing this year’s TUC Annual Conference in Bournemouth

Comment by, Roger McKenzie, Assistant General Secretary of UNISON

M

uch has been written about the heroic fight for justice waged by the Lawrence family and the eventual impact of the Stephen Lawrence

Inquiry Report. I am very proud to say that UNISON played a leading role amongst trade unions to support the Lawrence family in their fight for justice and to inspire change within the trade union movement.

In previous roles at the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and then at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) I

played a small role in helping to ensure trade union support in the campaign for justice. Indeed at the TUC I was honoured to serve as secretary to the Stephen Lawrence Task Force. This task force, chaired by the then general secretary John Monks with all the key union leaders including my own Dave Prentis, carried out a root and branch investigation into insti-

tutional racism within the trade union movement.

RULES The main recommendation of the task force to put in place a rule change to make it against the rules of the TUC to discriminate on race, gender, sexuality, disability or age was remarkable on two grounds. Firstly, that the TUC doesn’t change its

rules very often and, secondly, that it was never a rule in the first place. The enforcement of this rule is through an equality audit every other year. These are highly significant developments that have already made a huge difference to union equality work.

Perhaps less written about is the impact that the campaign for justice and the work to root

out institutional racism has had on black self organisation within and outside the trade union movement. Prior to the campaign for justice and the raising of the profile of institutional racism black self organisation had, I believe, reached a difficult period within the trade union movement. Although some internal battles had already been won, such as a mo-

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013 THE VOICE | 21

PICTURED LEFT IS BOB PURKISS, THE THEN NATIONAL SECRETARY FOR WOMEN, RACE AND EQUALITIES FOR THE TGWU. Neville Lawrence (right), father of Stephen Lawrence, appears moved as he listens to a speech by Transport and General Workers Union General Secretary Bill Morris, who denounced racism and urged the Government to abandon its voucher scheme for asylum seekers, for which he received a standing ovation at the TUC conference in Glasgow back in 2000.

tion based TUC Black Workers Conference and subsequently the right to send motions direct to Congress, black self organisation had reached a level of stagnation.

Of course a range of black structures were in place across a range of unions but it is arguable whether many either had high level influence within their organisations or contributed very much to workplace organising. There was a constant battle within unions waged by black workers to get what they regarded as their issues treated at a higher priority.

The Lawrence campaign was to change all that – it was hoped.

WORKFORCE Black self-organisation was, and still is, a rarity across the trade union movement. Most unions prefer advisory structures which at least provide an opportunity for black members to participate in all black structures, but this is not the same as the self-organisation preferred by UNISON. In UNISON black self-organisation, that is the right of black members to organise collectively at every level of the union, is written into rule.

Writing rules to facilitate organising of any kind does not of course mean that organising takes place. Organising usually takes place when workers, black or white, identify an

issue that they feel strongly about. The fight for justice by the Lawrence family provided another catalyst for action not just for black workers but, in fact, for the whole trade union movement. Its worth remembering that the fight for justice by the Lawrence family and the battle against institutional racism was being waged at a time when unemployment amongst the black workforce was around four times as high as it was amongst white workers. Black workers were also still at the bottom of the pay and promotion ladder. There was already plenty of kindle for the fire but the match was now hopefully to be applied by the Lawrence campaign.

“Black workers were also still at the bottom of the pay and promotion ladder” Unions that were still developing their structures for black members, and their ability to tackle institutional racism with employers, had to reconsider how best to meet the new challenges of an era with a heightened awareness of racism. This also meant stepping

back from old assumptions about the extent of institutional racism in the workplace as well as the role of black union members themselves in leading the charge for equality. It also meant, in some cases, actually believing what black workers had been saying was the problem for many years. Key to this message was that people within institutions and the rules and procedures set up by its leaders discriminate and that is what must be tackled.

BUILDING At the heart of the debate about the role of black workers in their unions was how far black self-organisation was to be embedded within structures and black workers empowered to organise and have access to real power within unions.

Those black workers within unions who still struggled to build self-organised structures or, at least, to make their existing structures more effective saw the opportunity to reignite black activity within their unions. Building an anger that would lead to activism around the tragedy that had befallen the Lawrence family would serve the double purpose of supporting the Lawrence family and building black union organisation.

Unions, such as UNISON, who already had well developed black members structures

had similar questions to answer. The support of the Lawrence family campaign could be used to raise issues of the deep-seated institutional racism that existed (and still does in many areas) in the public sector and to help to build activism.

The truth is that whilst in UNISON, and just about every union, there was a shared revulsion about the injustice experienced by the Lawrence family there was no legacy of lasting black union activism. Instead unions continued to struggle to build activism amongst black workers regardless of the type of structure they already had in place.

To be fair unions generally have struggled to identify and develop activists of any colour. However, the existence of such an issue as the Lawrence campaign still failed to encourage black workers to become more active. This was deeply concerning for everyone who sought to build black activism within and outside the trade union movement.

This failure to develop wider black activity within unions mirrored the similar difficulty in widening the number of black activists in the anti fascist struggles against the British National Party (BNP) that was taking place at the same time. The BNP were increasing their electoral support during

this period and visiting terror on large sections of the black community. Yet, almost incredibly, the anti fascist movement was and still is predominantly white. It wasn’t as if there wasn’t a choice of anti racist or anti fascist organisations to get involved with. There was the black led Anti Racist Alliance, the breakaway Unite Against Fascism, and Searchlight on a national level and many locally based organisations.

VISIBLE Why then did black workers not feel able to take a more leading role within their unions?

Just about every union in those sectors where there is some representation of black workers had some sort of structure to facilitate the involvement of those black workers. So that can’t reasonably be argued to be an obstacle. Indeed unions had been more visible than ever before in their opposition to racism. There was a plethora of conferences and marches that had been very visibly supported by high profile union figures. Union resources had been extensively used to support anti racist and anti fascist campaigns. Yet still black workers did not get involved.

I am not so arrogant as to believe that I have all the answers to what I believe are pretty fundamental issues of how we build a resistance move-

ment that has black workers at its core. What I do believe is that the historic fight for justice waged by the Lawrence family with all of the other circumstances of the time was a golden opportunity missed to build stronger black union activism both within and outside the trade union movement.

Even now we need to regroup as black activists and use the very extensive structures that we have managed to secure to map out the next phase of our black struggle in a way that brings together black union and community activists and sets aside the personal history and rivalries that all too often dogs our movement. Black workers, perhaps more than at any other time in our history on these shores are struggling to keep our heads above water.

If we take the steps to build unity of purpose I hope that we can really make the Lawrence connection that allows us to develop a black self organisation fit enough and strong enough for the challenges of the 21st Century.

This page is sponsored

22 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

UNITY TRADE UNION TRIBUTE EDITION

A teacher speaks to members at NASUWT’S BME Teacher’s conference

Schools and colleges play a key role in making society more inclusive

By Dr Patrick Roach Deputy General Secretary of the NASUWT

T

he NASUWT is the largest teachers’ union in the UK. It is also the largest trade union and professional body representing black and minority ethnic (BME) teachers in the UK. The racist murder of Stephen Lawrence twenty years ago, brought to public attention the issue of institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police. But, it also provided an important wake up call to all public institutions to put their house in order by ending the scourge of racial discrimination within workplaces and in our society, and to secure tangible progress towards the goal of racial equality.

The NASUWT believes that schools and colleges have a key role to play in making our society more inclusive, promoting social mobility and enabling all individuals, regardless of background to have better life chances.

And, in the last two decades real progress has been made towards that goal. However, in

recent years, the government’s policies have had the effect of turning back the clock on racial equality for today’s children and young people.

Nearly 50 years ago, the government put in place a progressive set of measures to support families from BME communities and to provide extra support for children and young people from BME backgrounds. The successor to the Section 11 grant programme - the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) – provided a guarantee of support for BME pupils especially those at risk of underachieving and those with English as an additional language. But, in 2010, the guaranteed funding for EMAG pupil support (amounting to £204 million) was axed.

DUTY Following the publication of the Macpherson Report into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, the 2001 Bradford riots, and terrorist attacks on the UK mainland in 2005, legislation was enacted to require all schools to promote community cohesion.

The NASUWT welcomed this new duty, on the grounds that it provided an important impe-

tus for schools to play their part in helping to foster good race and community relations across our towns and cities.

Schools were inspected by Ofsted and were judged on how well schools they were meeting the community cohesion duty and, thereby, making a difference in terms of improving community relations.

“The NASUWT is calling for urgent action to ensure racial equality within our education system” SEGREGATED However, in 2011 the Coalition Government’s Education Act effectively brought this work to an end. And, as a result of the government’s programme of academy schools and free schools, since 2010 there is increasing evidence that our schools are becoming more and more segregated on racial and religious lines and that BME pupils are increasingly more likely to be excluded from schools.

Sponsored academies are twice as likely

to permanently exclude pupils as other schools and statistics also show that Black Caribbean and mixed race pupils are at least three times more likely to be excluded than other children.

The NASUWT has been pressing the government to take steps to ensure that all schools record and report incidents of racial harassment and racist bullying and to prohibit members or organisations spreading racist hatred (such as the BNP or EDL) to be prevented from teaching or serving as school governors.

But, the coalition government has ignored our demands and has instead removed the requirement for children to be taught by qualified teachers. This is an unprecedented move designed to cut costs and increase the opportunity for private providers of education to make a profit out of children’s education. It is a move which also threatens to undermine progress on racial equality in the school system.

ACTION And, it is BME pupils and teachers who will pay the price for these reforms and that is why the NASUWT is

campaigning on the issue of racial equality in our education system.

The NASUWT is calling for urgent action to ensure racial equality within our education system.

TEACHERS For example, we want to see more help for students to stay on in education, not the scrapping of the Education Maintenance Allowance which was especially damaging for BME pupils. The scrapping of the EMA was especially damaging for BME students – previously 88% of Bangladeshi students received the EMA, together with 77% of Pakistani students, 67% of Black African students, 65% of Black Caribbean students, 53% of mixed race students and 45% of Indian students whilst only 39% of white students did so.

We want to see an inclusive and diverse workforce in our schools with equal opportunity for BME teachers to become the school leaders of the future. Yet, all the evidence points towards “institutionalised” racial discrimination in our education system that is holding back black and minority ethnic teachers and

students. The NASUWT’s BME Teachers’ Conference - the largest network of BME teachers in the country – is taking the lead on these issues; debating and giving voice to the issues that matter most to BME teachers and pupils.

In October, the NASUWT will once again be celebrating Black History Month. Our annual Arts & Minds competition will recognise and celebrate the work of students in promoting the message of racial equality and respecting cultural diversity in schools across the length and breadth of the country. We are proud to continue this work and to be the teachers’ union that is putting racial equality back on the agenda.

Find out more about our campaign for racial equality at: www.nasuwt.org.uk/BME Join NASUWT

This page is sponsored

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

1RX bledon, London SW19 150 The Broadway, Wim

www.cwu.org

T: 020 8971 7200

etary Billy Hayes General Secr

www.billyhayes.co.uk

THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION IS CAMPAIGNING ON THE FOLLOWING: SAVE OUR ROYAL MAIL – NO TO THE SELL OFF EQUAL TREATMENT & RIGHTS FOR AGENCY WORKERS UNIVERSAL SUPERFAST BROADBAND FOR BRITAIN

CAMPAIGNING FOR WORKERS’ RIGHTS ACROSS THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIES

ŝůůLJ ,ĂLJĞƐ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů ^ĞĐƌĞƚĂƌLJ ǁǁǁ͘ďŝůůLJŚĂLJĞƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013 THE VOICE | 27

28 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

UNITY TRADE UNION TRIBUTE EDITION

Privatisation is the wrong prescription for our NHS

MORE MONEY, MORE WAITING, LESS FAIR, LESS CARE Join the fight to stop it – Join Unite www.unitetheunion.org Follow us on twitter @UniteinHealth

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013 THE VOICE | 29

SAVED: Lewisham campaigners win high court hospital battle

‘Nice One’: Unite’s Mohammad Taj is the next TUC President

By Jacqueline Asafu-Adjaye, Sponsored Features Editor

M

ohammad Taj, a bus driver from Bradford and the TUC’s first Muslim President has been elected as the next TUC President.

Taj - who is a member of Unite was elected at TUC’s General Council on the final morning of the 145th Congress and takes over from Lesley Mercer.

Taj has worked in public transport since 1974 when he started working for Bradford City Transport as a bus conductor.

He first got involved with the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) - now part of Unite - when he began to investigate complaints that Asian workers had to pay a bribe to corrupt union officials and managers before they could get work on the buses.

As a result of his work into unjust practices throughout the company, there was a court case and several people went to prison. In 1982 Taj was elected as the T&G’s shop steward at the company, and ten years later became a worker director for

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: TUC President Mohammad Taj

the whole of West Yorkshire and sat on the company board.

‘I am proud to have come from lay membership level and be the first Muslim and the first Asian President of the TUC’ In the late 1980s unions were beginning to look at how they might do more to better represent workers from black and Asian communities, and Taj was elected chair of the T&G’s national black, Asian and eth-

nic minorities committee and sat on the executive council of the union.

Taj has been on the TUC’s General Council since 2001.

In 1995 following the riots in Bradford - which erupted following long-running tensions between the police and local Asian youths - Taj served as part of the commission set up to look into the underlying causes of the violence. A year later Taj went back to being a bus driver and once again worked on many of the routes serving the towns and cities in West Yorkshire.

He is now based in Unite’s branch office of First in Bradford and is responsible for looking after the interests of the 650 employees who work as cleaners, engineers, clerical staff and drivers for First West Yorkshire.

Commenting on his election as TUC President, Taj, said: ‘I am proud to have come from lay membership level and be the first Muslim and the first Asian President of the TUC. ‘During my year as President I’m keen to reach out to trade unionists in the Arab world - in places like Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq - where people are living and working in extremely dangerous and unstable situations, and help them build, strong, independent and democratic unions.

“I am proud to have come from lay membership level and be the first Muslim and the first Asian President of the TUC” ‘In the early 1960s my father came to the UK for treatment. He was suffering from TB, and couldn’t afford treatment back in Kashmir where we were living at the time. Quite simply the NHS saved my father’s life.’

‘Protecting the NHS and campaigning against government policies - which have seen the increasing involvement of the private sector, and where more and more profit is being put before patient care - will also be one of my priorities.

‘In the early 1960s my father came to the UK for treatment. He was suffering from TB, and couldn’t afford treatment back in Kashmir where we were living at the time. Quite simply the NHS saved my father’s life.

‘I’m also keen during my presidential year to highlight the distress being felt by families across the country as people struggle to cope with

the fallout from the living standards crisis. As we see the first tentative signs of economic recovery, we must ensure that ordinary people too can share in the rewards that growth will eventually bring.’

Taj, 61, is married to Naseem with two children and two grandchildren.

Unite is one of Britain and Ireland’s largest trade unions with 1.4 million members working across all sectors of the economy.

Join Unite the Union: www.unitetheunion.org

TEN good

REASONS

good

REASONS to

JOIN

UNITE

www.unitetheunion.org

30 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

UNITY TRADE UNION TRIBUTE EDITION

ATL ‘Supporting members, supporting education’

By Dr Wanda Wyporska

E

ducation is in flux, there’s no doubt about it. It seems that every time we read a paper or listen to the news, Michael Gove tells us that education is just not good enough.

It might be that he’s quoting Finland’s high-achieving young people, for example, but he’s not telling you about the high level of taxes Finns pay.

Or when Liz Truss tells us how French nursery staff look after many more toddlers than their English counterparts, because they have a degree.

Well those of us who have looked after more than a couple of children, know that a degree doesn’t give you extra arms when they all need a cuddle or the toilet!

CRITICISM All we get is a relentless stream of criticism and you know what? It’s really starting to affect those of us who work in education, because we

EQUALITIES CHAMPION: Dr Wanda Wyporska

know that day in, day out, year in, year out we are doing the best we can to help children and young people develop into caring, rounded and confident people, with enquiring minds and a lifelong love of learning.

Long after ministers have moved on and the Government has changed, we are still here dealing with whatever has passed for a bright ministerial idea and picking up the pieces of education ‘reform’.

“That’s why trade unions are so important, because we represent the voices and, crucially, the experiences of

millions of working people.”

That’s why trade unions are so important, because we represent the voices and, crucially, the experiences of millions of working people and because we will challenge the government of the day on issues that are important to our members.

Through our evidence-based policy making, we bring the views of our members to the attention of government ministers, the media and the wider public.

CHALLENGE The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) supports education staff in protecting their pay and conditions and making sure that they are treated fairly and with respect at work. But we also organise Continuing Professional Development in a variety of areas and provide training for reps and those who wish to get more involved with their local branches.

Through our joint work with organisations such as Race on the Agenda (ROTA), the Network for Black Profession-

als (NBP) and Ethnic Minorities in Education (EMiE) and supported by the TUC’s Race Equality Officer Wilf Sullivan, ATL is embarking on a series of projects to support our Black members. We can help you if you want to progress at work, whether you are a teaching assistant thinking about moving into teaching, or a teacher who wants to become a deputy head or school leader. Maybe you are interested in getting more involved with union activities?

“We know that day in, day out, year in, year out we are doing the best we can…”

Our members are teachers, lecturers, support staff, school and college leaders, and they are also part of the community. So we continue to campaign on the issues that are

important for children, young people and their parents.

As education is increasingly privatised, with schools being handed over to academy chains and other sponsors, there are questions to be asked about how fair admissions procedures are. When schools are in charge of admissions and are judged on league table positions, then clearly it’s not in their interests to take in any students who are seen as problematic.

ADVICE We are campaigning on the proposed changes to the National Curriculum. After three (as I write) overhauls, after rejecting advice from expert subject associations, teachers and academics, Michael Gove has announced that children aged five will be taught fractions. We believe that children need a childhood and should be free to learn through play and not subjected to tests at such an early age.

We are also campaigning for Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and/or Sex and Relationships

Education (SRE) to be made statutory in all schools. After all, young people want to and need to learn about consent, relationships, respect and how to keep themselves safe both online and offline.

SUPPORT As educators, we believe that all our children should be empowered to make the decisions that will give them confidence and self-respect.

And our members know that hungry children don’t learn well, so we support the Fair and Square campaign for all children in poverty to received free school meals.

Working with a range of expert organisations, from the NSPCC to Stonewall to the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition, ATL is working to ensure that our young people and members in our schools and colleges and in our classrooms and staff rooms are able to thrive and be the best that they can be.

Dr Wanda Wyporska is ATL’s lead on Equalities and Diversity. You can tweet her @ATLWanda

A SONG FOR STEPHEN

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013 THE VOICE | 31

Why I love teaching…

interpretation or signposting to help with home difficulties, is part and parcel of being a teacher. It’s about children knowing that you understand them whichever language they happen to give you an answer in!

By Avie Kaur – ATL Executive Member, Warwickshire Joint Branch Secretary, Union Learning Rep and Equalities and Diversity Committee member

T

he look on a child’s face when they suddenly ‘get it’. A child running up to you in the street to say hello. A young person looking to you for encouragement and support knowing that they are going to get it. That’s why I love teaching and you can’t measure those things in terms of money.

I am a primary qualified teacher with 18 years on the job. I have taught across all year groups, am a qualified 1:1 tutor and now I do supply teaching, which means I get to work in a lot of different schools. I also get to teach all subjects although my favourites are English and History.

CONFLICT For those in Black and Asian communities who think that teaching is not a career worth pursuing, then think again.

Only by getting positive role

PREJUDICE

AVIE KAUR: ATL Executive Member models into teaching in all areas, will we be able to change the tide in the fortunes of our young people who, now more than ever, need to see that there is something out there for them.

Having someone from your own background, who understands the cultural nuances that often cause conflict in learning spheres, can make the difference between the student who stays in education and the one who drops out.

Being a friendly face at the school gate for an anxious parent, who needs help with

I teach about ethnic diversity through hands-on classes on Sikhism, Hinduism and Indian culture. I ask children to examine their own views on racism, prejudice and any phobias by looking at how extreme views affect those on the receiving end. Of course I share my own experiences with others to show how adversity can be overcome. Children are influenced by their families, peers and community before they even get into the classroom and all these have to be addressed to allow a reasoned response.

Being a teacher was something that I thought was out of my reach when I left school but here I am. Anyone who has the drive and ambition to become a teacher can make it and after all, we all remember

a good teacher.

“But everyone needs support and that’s where my union ATL, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers comes in” But everyone needs support and that’s where my union ATL, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers comes in. I have always believed that the best way to solve problems is through discussion and collaboration, which is why it wasn’t a difficult decision to sign up to ATL in my Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year.

If you want to change something, you have to be part of it and I certainly am.

FAIRNESS My first step into the wider union structure was to become a Union Learning Rep (ULR), which broadened my horizon in terms of organising learning for adults. ULRs are union reps who organise learning

events and courses for adults in the workplace. It may be a case of encouraging people to brush up on Maths and English or Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and many thousands of workplaces now have dedicated learning centres, thanks to trade unions.

This in turn led to my involvement with equalities work and my passion has led to me being elected onto the ATL Executive Committee and from there to the Equalities and Diversity Committee.

Having suffered my fair share of inequality at work, it is now my mission to help other ATL members get involved with equalities work. It goes without saying, I have strong views on equality and fairness!

The more people who can see that inequality can be challenged, the easier it is to have discussions that enable others to make informed choices. That is my role on the Executive, when I can put across the view from the BME perspective.

IMPROVE It’s important that education is representative of our com-

munities. Given that many of our young people do not experience the best education has to offer, it’s often the case that they discount education as a profession, thinking that it will be more of the same.

“If I could choose one thing that would improve education vastly for our young people, it would be to see more of us at the front of the classroom…”

If I could choose one thing that would improve education vastly for our young people, it would be to see more of us at the front of the classroom, in the staffroom, leading schools and colleges and inspiring our young people to really achieve their best.

This page is sponsored

32 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE THE ROAD TO JUSTICE

UNITY TRADE UNION TRIBUTE EDITION

Proud Sponsors of

‘A Song for Stephen’

’ N E H EP

: T t i s i S v n o R i t FO ompeti

c G g n i N t i r O w g n S o s e A t ‘ a m i t l u The

www.voice-online.com