TUC launches ‘action plan’ to challenge workplace racism

THE TUC is continuing its high profile campaign against racism in the workplace by setting up a ‘Stephen Lawrence Task Group’, with the General Secretary, John Monks in the chair.

The Task Group has launched an ambitious action plan, which commits the TUC to a serious shift of resources to tackle racism in the workplace. This includes the aim of producing joint guidelines with the employers organisation, the CBI, and the Commission for Racial Equality on eradicating racism at work.

Unions are also being encouraged to enter into agreements and with employers to eradicate the effects of institutional racism. The TUC will publish the best examples of such agreements for others to learn from and adapt.

The Task Group has begun work with a major investment in a programme of education for workplace representatives, and training for black and Asian union officers. And work is under way to ensure a better representation of ethnic minorities among the TUC’s Training Academy entrants.

A group of trade union educators and lawyers are drawing up a new legal handbook.

The TUC and its affiliated unions are also looking closely at their own record as employers and are monitoring the number of black and Asian employees they have, and their methods of recruitment.

Campaigns and publications are under way, and being planned. These will deal with the lack of job opportunities and career advancement for black and Asian people, and harassment, including the use of racist language.

The Task Group was set up to tackle institutional racism in the workplace following the findings of the inquiry into the death of the Stephen Lawrence. The inquiry marked a watershed in the history of race relations in Britain. Its criticism of the Metropolitan Police was devastating. Yet the Met had made considerable investment into its equal opportunities work, which gives cause for all organisations and employers in the UK to take a hard look at the depth of institutional racism.

The Task Group’s work is an extension of the priority given by the TUC’s General Council to race issues over recent years, in particular the Unite Against Racism campaign, which included two national demonstrations and two Respect festivals. The Task Group will make a report to Congress 2000 on the trade union response to the challenges posed by the Lawrence report. There are three broad themes of the TUC’s Action Plan.

Racism in the workplace is best tackled through joint employer and union action. This reflects the priority the TUC gives to emphasising a partnership approach in the workplace. The task group will examine a number of possibilities including:

Inviting the CBI and CRE to produce joint guidelines with the TUC on tackling institutional racism in the workplace.

Setting up a modular course to develop expertise among trade unionists, employers and employment advisors on identifying and combating institutional racism at work.

Encouraging unions to enter into partnership agreements and collective agreements which undermine the effects of institutional racism. Partnership Fund initiatives from affiliates could further the TUC agenda on partnership and equal opportunities, increasing union credibility.

Showcasing union and TUC initiatives and agreements to highlight union action and encourage unions with examples of what can be done.

The TUC is aiming to provide training for unions which could include:

Drawing up relevant guidelines on issues such as monitoring and setting targets.

The TUC National Education Centre, regional education and bespoke courses to assist union representatives identify and challenge institutional racism.

A management development programme to help black union officers and staff successfully compete for promotion posts in trade unions.

Establishing a list of specialist professional employment advisors and consultants who have anunderstanding of the issues that unions could use when looking at their own personnel policies and practice.

Assisting unions increase the number of successful race discrimination cases taken onbehalf of members. Emphasis will be given to equip workplace representatives and full time officers to identify and successfully run ET race discrimination cases.

A more explicit focus on black workers through the TUC Organising Academy, which trains young union organisers.

The TUC is committed to examining its own personnel policies and practices in the light of the report, as well as finding ways that make the culture of the TUC and trade unions inclusive of black and ethnic minority interests. TheTUC intends to:

Introduce a mentoring programme for young black people.

Look at further measures to increase the number of black people working for the TUC at all levels.

Suggest ways in which race issues can be further mainstreamed into TUC policy.

Encourage positive role models in TUC sponsored services which have a direct connection between members and workplace reps, such as Bargaining for Skills and the TUC Education Service.

Use the Marble Hall in Congress House as an ‘open space’ in which to encourage black artists to exhibit or perform their work, creating an opportunity to invite new groups of people into Congress House.

Give high profile to the TUC’s advocacy of an inclusive and fair society which respects and values the diversity of Britain’s workforce.