UNISON - the public service union



Black lives and COVID 19A UNISON Statement by General Secretary Dave Prentis 18th June 2020The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed systematic institutional and structural racism and inequality in health, socio-economic deprivation, poor housing, education, employment, and above all in our workplaces, institutions and wider society. It has also shone a bright spotlight on the increasing number of migrant workers who have died from the virus as essential workers. We have a moral duty to their families to safeguard their immigration status and income, especially those who may not have recourse to public funds.A catalogue of racist murders in the USA of Black men and women including the recent shocking murder of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police and Ahmaud Arbery by vigilantes has renewed a worldwide call for justice for Black people. This includes the UK’s own history of unanswered questions of increasing numbers of Black people being murdered by the police, racist violence and lack of accountability - from deaths in custody to the hostile environment on Black people.The stark statistics in official reports of those who catch COVID 19 and the disproportionate death rates of Black workers and their families are shocking to read. But each death has a name and a story that deserves telling. They are our members, friends, family and workplace comrades. Whilst we mourn each death, we resolve to re-double our efforts to fight for the living – and to renew the fight against systematic institutional and structural racism. Black lives matter. Not just the right to live, but to live a life free from racism, discrimination and poverty.The brutal realities of COVID has exposed the way racism affects where you live and how you work. It affects health and well-being. It affects access to healthcare and housing. Our economy relies on an army of invisible workers, a high proportion of whom are Black workers; and who have come to the fore to save lives and keep society functioning. The exposure of occupational segregation, fragmented employment, zero hours contracts, privatisation, cuts, poverty pay, lack of PPE and lack of sick pay is therefore no surprise. Added to this is many Black workers’ fear that raising concerns with managers will only make their situation worse. Particularly the migrant workers fearful of losing their jobs as their employment status was a condition attached to the visa/work permit whose loss will automatically activate their administrative removal by the Home Office from UK to their country of origin. We will continue to give a voice to the daily burden and worry Black workers face going out to work in public facing roles and returning to their families at the end of their shift fearing they are now carrying COVID 19. We are committed to fighting for them and fighting racism in the workplace. UNISON at all levels has been pressing safety issues continuously with employers and governments with equality issues at the forefront, including urgent actions to protect Black staff through effective risk assessments and employers who fail to carry out effective risk assessment as their lawful duty will be taken to court.Yet sadly, the Public Health England (PHE) disparities report on 2nd June confirmed that Black and Asian ethnic groups are up to twice as likely to die from COVID 19.Our Black members have told us that Black communities have lost faith in the UK Government taking this issue seriously or taking action to protect Black lives and it was little surprise there was no multi-agency action plan to accompany the PHE report or any urgency from the Prime Minister. On 16th June the missing section of the PHE report was published only after pressure. The belated Commission announced on the 15th June is unsatisfactory when there are reports with dozens of actions awaiting implementation.We call on the UK Government to:1. implement the recommendations from the Windrush Lessons Learned Review by Wendy Williams in March 2020. Two years on and they are still waiting for the promised compensation;2. implement the Lammy Review of the criminal justice system from 2017;3. bring into force Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 - the Public Sector Socio-Economic duty in England. This already enacted in the Scotland and Wales;4. act on Theresa May's comprehensive Race Disparity Audit published in 2017.Continued warm words are not enough and action is needed today. Employers, governments, public bodies and regulators must be held to account for their duty of care, legal and lawful responsibilities. This includes, but is not limited to, the Health and Safety Executive, the Care Quality Commission (and devolved equivalents), Equality and Human Rights Commission and the departments of the Westminster, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments.A judge led Royal Commission or Public Inquiry must be convened and focus on Black deaths due to COVID 19 and the contributing factors. It must be used to galvanise change. UNISON stands ready to play the leading role as we did with the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry a generation ago that established that organisations could be guilty of institutional racism.There is an immediate and critical role for our union to work with employers (or to force them through all available collective means including legal action) to ensure that Black staff are listened to and respected so that:risks are addressed effectively and meaningfully;appropriate action is taken to support staff to work safely;where work cannot be made safe for that individual, paid alternatives are provided;employers listen to and act on the issues and concerns Black staff have about their circumstances and experiences;the huge toll of systemic structural racism on Black staff is acknowledged and support provided.Safe workplaces are a human right. Nobody should fear going to work. Racism isn’t business as usual. Racism, hidden or overt must not be ‘part of the job’. Public service workers battling COVID 19 as part of their job cannot be expected to battle the Home Office at the same time on immigration matters. UNISON campaigning on immigration, Windrush and opposing the hostile environment has led the way in supporting and advising migrant worker members, securing an exemption for some from the damaging Immigration Health Surcharge, Indefinite Leave to Remain for the families of those who have died as a result of COVID-19 and exposed the problems in the current Immigration Bill. The one-year visa extension campaign for medical and care professionals must be extended to all health and social care staff as a first step – but UNISON is calling for all essential workers to receive Indefinite Leave to Remain so they can do their job and support their families without additional worries about the Home Office. This union will continue to be pro-active and visible in standing with our members and communities. As a public service union, we are in constant dialogue and engagement with our members who live in those communities and rely on those services. We value our local equality reps and the leadership of our national and regional Black Members Committees to guide us. Self organisation through trade unions is also the most effective way to increase diversity in public service workplaces and leadership.We will move forward together to tackle systemic institutional structural racism and build unity at a workplace level. We will call out and oppose the dog whistle politics and policies that feed violence against Black people and support peaceful, socially distanced, protests.COVID 19 has shone a bright spotlight on what is important and what we value in our society. UNISON, therefore, calls on the Government and employers to end the ethnicity pay gaps that deny Black workers equal pay for work of equal value. Black men earn ?4 less per hour. In-work poverty is costing lives in the UK. Black and migrant workers are having to risk their lives to feed their families. Economic inequality coupled with systemic and structural racism that drives it is costing a disproportionate number of Black lives.This union says loud and clearly that Black Lives Matter. We are prepared to be judged on our actions.We demand our Governments do the same. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download