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Congress 2010 Final Agenda

Equal rights

09 Trade union outreach

Congress recognises the importance of reaching out to diverse sections of the population to make the case for trade union membership. We acknowledge the importance of publicity and recruitment campaigns on issues that are important to the majority of trade unions, such as job losses, pensions and pay.

Congress also recognises that the majority of trade unionists are now women, and that the cuts will have a disproportionate impact on disabled people; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; people from black and minority ethnic communities; and young people.

Congress therefore calls on the TUC to continue to play a progressive role, in particular in its work on equality. Together with a campaign on these issues, a meeting should be sought with broadcasters who have a public service remit to seek greater recognition of the role that trade unions continue to play.

Communication Workers' Union

Amendment

Add at end of final paragraph: 'The TUC should also urge broadcasters to recognise the pressing need for action to ensure that all sections of society are portrayed realistically and by avoiding the use of stereotypes.'

Equity

Amendment

Add new paragraph at end:

'However, Congress recognises the on-going attack on public service broadcasting and the consolidation of media ownership and control in the hands of anti-union figures. Congress agrees to support media unions in their fights to stop cuts, end monopolies and find new financial models to support media diversity and quality journalism.'

National Union of Journalists

10 Equality impact assessments (EIAs)

Congress believes that equality should be at the heart of all trade union collective bargaining and is an essential pre-requisite to protect rights to services within the public sector.

Congress notes that:

public sector employers have a statutory duty to conduct EIAs

EIAs have the potential to identify potential discriminatory effects of an employer's policies, procedures and practices

many higher education institutions and further education colleges have not rigorously carried out EIAs

use of EIAs across the public sector is not widespread.

Congress recognises the weakness of the Equality Act and the lack of any detail on the new equality duties.

Congress calls upon the General Council to:

continue to raise awareness among affiliated unions as to the importance of EIAs

encourage affiliates to gain official recognition for the role of equality officers in their collective bargaining with employers

organise a campaign through affiliates within the public sector to conduct comprehensive and effective EIAs, placing pressure on both the Government and employers

urge affiliates to campaign to ensure the new specific duties within the Equality Act are more advantageous and effective than previous provisions and mount a vigorous campaign to remedy the equality deficit in trade union collective bargaining.

University and College Union

Amendment

In paragraph 2, at end of sub-paragraph ii), add:

'and mean policies can be developed and implemented to promote equality and lead to a more efficient and fair allocation of resources.'

In sub-paragraph iii), line 2, after 'colleges' insert 'public bodies and central government departments'

Add after 'duties' at end of paragraph 3 'with the risk of EIAs not being conducted.'

In paragraph 4, sub-paragraph a), add at end:

'including the resources required and the consequences of failure to properly complete EIAs'

FDA

11 A workplace agenda for women

Congress welcomes achievements for working women over the last decade including:

family-friendly working - more than doubling maternity pay from £55.70 in 1997 to £123.06 in 2009

fair pay - National Minimum Wage from £0 in 1997 to £5.80 in 2009

part-time and flexible working; childcare and carer support

women and training, especially unionlearn and the opportunities it has brought to women in manufacturing

tackling domestic violence

gender duty and Equality Bill developments.

However, Congress recognises:

key issues from the Women's Charter agreed at TUC Women's Conference and the TUC Congress motions on ending women's poverty and women and pensions remain priorities

pressures from employers and others to cut back action for women's equality and oppose further progress

particular difficulties in paid time off for women reps.

Congress calls on the General Council and TUC Women's Committee and affiliates to:

remain continually vigilant, oppose attacks and support organising women, whilst campaigning and bargaining for women's equality at all levels

prepare a report of achievements on women's equality and to highlight outstanding issues for working women as a Trade Union Workplace Agenda for Women

be part of the International TUC Women's campaign for Decent Work for Women

defend unionlearn and the rights of union learning reps to champion skills in the workplace and develop innovative training for women at work.

Congress resolves to fight a Tory Party looking to make savage cuts to workplace rights and public services.

TUC Women's Conference (this motion is exempt from the 250-word limit)

12 LGBT rights in the new political situation

Congress notes the new coalition Government's 'programme for government' and its positive commitment to improving hate crime recording and asylum rights, and to tackling homophobic bullying in schools. However, Congress is very concerned about the following:

the announced £6bn cut in public funding, with larger cuts yet to be announced, and in particular the impact on LGBT community organisations and LGBT users of public services

the lack of commitment to the full implementation of the Equality Act

the encouraging of greater 'freedom' within the state school system in terms of curriculum and governance, including the encouragement of more faith schools

the continuing religious exemptions to LGBT employment rights.

Congress reaffirms its commitment to full LGBT equality in society and positive action to achieve this aim. Congress deplores the proposed cuts in public funding that will disproportionately affect working class LGBT users of public services. Congress supports the TUC challenge to the European Commission on the legality of the current religious exemptions to LGBT employment rights in the UK.

TUC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Conference (this motion is exempt from the 250-word limit)

13 A workplace agenda for disabled workers

Congress welcomes achievements for disabled workers over the last decade, including extending the Disability Discrimination Act to all workplaces, the Disability Equality Duty, and funding for Access to Work.

However, Congress remains concerned that:

disability discrimination prevents disabled men and women getting and staying in work

fear and lack of information are still major factors preventing disabled people getting their reasonable adjustments

the current economic situation further worsens the position of disabled workers across workplaces.

Congress calls on the General Council, TUC Disability Committee and affiliates to:

campaign for redundancy matrices, sickness absence, health and safety, bonus, capability and other procedures explicitly to include protection from disability discrimination, while continuing to monitor the impact of the global economic crisis on disabled workers; and provide affiliates with a negotiating toolkit to assess workplace policies and procedures to identify disability discrimination and include examples of model agreements

identify specific industrial disability equality issues to be addressed - including industrial injuries to those who drive at work now wrongly classified as road traffic accidents - and support for agency workers on responsibility for reasonable adjustments

develop and support a positive trade union workplace agenda for disabled workers demonstrating the importance of trade union membership to disabled workers, backed up by monitoring, participation and trade union education.

TUC Disability Conference (this motion is exempt from the 250-word limit)

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