Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. The ability to live and work without prejudice is a fundamental right.
One of UNISON’s main aims is to help workers fight for fairness and equality in the workplace and beyond. Challenging discrimination and winning equality is at the heart of everything UNISON does.
Besides the right not to be discriminated against or bullied, fair treatment also includes equal working conditions and pay.
This year we are focusing on ensuring all reps. have undertaken the equality training under the NEC scheme of accreditation (as amended by Motion 12 National Delegate Conference 2022) that all UNISON representatives must attend:
Equality training within 2 years of induction, either:
I) Making Equality Central to your Practice or
II) Equality in your Branch
– together with Challenging Racism in the Workplace course within 3 years of appointment.
We will continue to provide Race Discrimination Claims Protocol Workshops for all activists in line with the regional commitment that all UNISON Activists must do this training.
In 2024, the Year of LGBT+ Workers, Trans Rights training will be provided for branch officers and the Trans Ally workshop will be available to be booked by branches and run regionally.
Pre-conference training for Self-Organised Group conferences will be organised in partnership with regional Self Organised Groups.
Branch Officer Training for Branch Equality Co-ordinators, Branch Womens Officers, Branch Black Members Officers, Branch Disabled Members Officers, and Branch LGBT+ Officers will be run regionally and details of nationally run courses will be circulated to our
Equality Networks as dates become available.
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Self-organised groups
Self-organised groups (SOGs) operate at all levels of the union. If you’re in one or more of the SOGs, this can be a great way to get involved in UNISON and start making a difference in your workplace.
In the region we have committees for each SOG that are elected annually from its membership.
UNISON members in the South West set the priorities for the campaigns and education work of our regional self-organised groups, as well as making sure we are living up to our values as a union.