date: 26 May 2006

embargo: For immediate release

Unions are key to ending disability discrimination

To coincide with its annual disability conference, the TUC has published a guide to disability equality that calls on unions to work with public sector employers to make discrimination towards disabled people a thing of the past.

From December 2006 (a year later for some schools), all organisations in the public sector will have a new duty making them responsible for ending the discrimination so often experienced by disabled people both at work and in their everyday lives.

The TUC guide, 'Disability and work: A trade union guide to the law and good practice' sets out how unions can work with employers to make the new Disability Equality Duty become a reality. The guide says that the Government has pledged to end discrimination against disabled people by 2025, and says that it will take much to end the disadvantage and unfair treatment experienced by so many disabled people.

The new Duty that comes into force at the end of December 2006 will force the public sector to actively promote true equality not only for its disabled employees but also for disabled people in receipt of its services. The Duty, part of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, means that public bodies, including government departments, local councils, NHS Trusts and police authorities will have to:

• promote equality of opportunity to between disabled people and other people
• eliminate unlawful discrimination
• promote positive attitudes towards disabled people, and
• encourage disabled people to participate in public life.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Unions have already proved themselves to be very effective campaigners at highlighting unfair treatment at work and tackling discrimination wherever it surfaces. With the new Duty, there is a real chance to end discrimination against disabled people. Using the new guide, unions are in a perfect position to work with employers on the development of policies that have the potential to transform the lives of disabled people.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- A copy of 'Disability and work: A trade union guide to the law and good practice' is available at http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/disabilityandwork.pdf or alternatively in word format at http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/disability.doc

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

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Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (400 words) issued 26 May 2006