MAY 2023 THE VOICE |25
BLACK WORKERS CONFERENCE 2023
Empowering members to make a difference Kebba Manneh writes that his priorities are to improve rights and challenge racism in the workplace for an equitable future
I
AM HUMBLED and honoured to be re-elected as chair of the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) for the ensuing year. It is a privilege to work with professional and committed Black Workers on the Committee as well as the staff who provide support and guidance in our collective structural decision making process on behalf of 185,000 (approximately) Black Workers in UNISON. I am pleased to lead this important work with the lay leadership and staff in UNISON. I am proud to continue to work with the President’s Team and the National Executive Council to secure 2023 a Year Of Black Workers (YOBW23). This is an important year to recognise the contribution and frontline role of Black workers during the Covid-19
Our priority is to improve their rights at work and challenge racism in the workplace
pandemic. We know how exposed they were struggling to get access to personal protective equipment, disproportionate deaths and poor health and safety protection. Our priority is to improve their rights at work and challenge racism in the workplace. In addition to dealing with the cost of living crisis, we have seen the resilience of Black workers playing a leading role in standing up against huge injustices in society. Another priority is to improve Black members’ representation in the decision-making structures of UNISON. The Union elected its first Black female President in 2011 and we have the first Black male in UNISON as Vice President. In addition, we have Black members on the NEC participating in the UNISON Staffing Committee, In-
dustrial Action and Campaign Committees. We also celebrated in March the appointment of the Chair of the UNISON Women’s Committee becoming the Sheriff of Bristol.
LEADERSHIP
I am proud to be presiding in my capacity as chair during the UNISON Year of Black Workers with an agenda that will give Black workers better and fairer opportunities at work and to ensure that they are properly rewarded and valued for their contribution in building a more equitable future. We also honour the life of Stephen Lawrence and worked with the President and the NEC for Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence to be awarded Honorary
What the Year of Black Workers is all about
U
NISON’S YEAR of Black Workers campaign is underpinned by the following Mission Statement: “Establishing Legacy to Generate Change”. Through this mission statement, two main themes will be focused on: Legacy and Change as an overarching strategic intent of UNISON. These themes will foreground specific work and campaigns the NBMC is already involved in and reflective of our different sector partners, alongside intended outcomes for branches and regions as a focal point for change and, thus, legacy created. When thinking about legacy, the NBMC will be looking at the work
we are undertaking around Equality and Equity through lived experience in UNISON as a learning organisation. The main sectors that would be in partnership with the NBMC are as follows: Community, Health, Higher Education, Local Government, Police and Justice, Water / Environment / Transport, Energy. The main legacy campaign strands that the NBMC hope this project will develop within these sectors/SOG’s are as follows: The Ethnicity Pay Gap, Ending the Hostile Environment, Challenging the Police Crime Sentencing and Court Act alongside the Discriminatory Stop and Search, Modern Day Slavery, Teaching Black History as part of the national curriculum across UK, just as the
Wales Government commissioned report, and implement the recommendations, The Race Discrimination Protocol, The TUC Anti-Racist Manifesto, The Workplace Race Equality Standards. The main changes the NBMC would like to see this project generate across sectors and within the union are as follows: Policy Changes - The development/improvement to existing collective bargaining, organising and recruitment policies that: Demonstrate and acknowledge the unfair and discriminatory experiences of Black workers by calling for legislative changes to practices in the workplace and have a focus on increasing the recruitment and retention of Black workers to the union.
Process and Protocols Changesthe development of new toolkits/ protocols or improving existing ones to meet the changing needs of Black Workers considering findings from surveys such as the WRES, the Ethnicity Pay Gap. Practice and Procedures Changes- A review of old and existing workplace practices and procedures that have not changed alongside policy changes. Consistent, standardised reporting, monitoring, and sharing of good practice to identify where employers may need support to implement changes. Links Survey: shorturl.at/vzJPY Review: shorturl.at/dmCJM Chapter: shorturl.at/dqCD
Membership of UNISON given 2023 will be 30 years since the murder of Stephen. Progress does not happen overnight but with strong leadership we can make change happen. We (Cymru/Wales UNISON Black Members’ Committee) wrote the motion for Black History to be taught as part of the National Curriculum in Wales, and worked with Community organisations in Wales for that to happen. We are proud, and above all, honoured to see the Welsh Government are implementing Black History as part of the National Curriculum in Wales. UNISON is now campaigning for Black History to be taught as part of the National Curriculum across the UK. Kebba Manneh is Chair of UNISON National Black Members Committee.
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