Glosamal

Equality

Last Updated - 13/12/2011

 
 

A wide selection of Equality Factsheets can be found at the National CWU Website - HERE


CWU Women’s Conference, Saturday 26th November 2011, Leeds

This year the Women’s South West Regional Committee submitted a motion calling to ensure Royal Mail and BT are taking their responsibilities providing toilet facilities for outdoor staff seriously. We heard about stories including how a post-woman who had had to cut off her delivery to return to the delivery office to use the toilet facilities because she had no other option was threatened with wilful delay under the conduct code. We also heard that one postman had been sacked because he was convicted for indecent exposure when he was forced to avail himself of a bush while on delivery. There are agreements in place to ensure staff have access to facilities, but some bully-boy managers still think getting a delivery out is more important than the basic human needs of their staff. The motion was passed unanimously.

Other motions included fighting the Con-Dem cuts which disproportionally affect women (cutbacks in maternity pay, parental leave and state benefits as well as women being more likely to suffer pay cuts and redundancies than men) and a motion calling to strengthen the flexible working agreement so parents are not disadvantaged because of it, and allow them to return to their previous contract when they no-longer need the flexible working contract.

In all 19 motions were carried. 


CWU Black Workers Conference Birmingham, Saturday 29th October 2011

Guest speaker Roger McKenzie, assistant general secretary for Unison spoke to conference about the importance of organising and standing up for ourselves and fighting the Con-Dem cuts. He said we run the risk of being the first generation to leave things worse for the next generation. 

Chuka Ummuna, shadow business secretary and Labour MP for Streatham also addressed conference. He spoke of the need for positive black role models and how we need to encourage black and ethnic minority (BEM) people to come  forward in business and in politics. 

Delegates from the Conference took time out from their lunch break to support the anti EDL demo that was taking place in Birmingham city centre.

Conference debated many important issues including the number of suspicious deaths in police custody, institutional discrimination in organisations including trade unions, the fight against the English Defence League (EDL), and how the Con-Dem cuts could disproportionally affect BEM people.

Conference also noted how in his speech in February, David Cameron said multiculturalism had failed. It was pointed out that multiculturalism cannot either fail or succeed - it is just a statement of fact. Britain is multicultural, has been for a very long time and will continue to be so! 

Tariq Jahan’s (right, speaking at the anti-EDL demo), son Haroon was killed along with two other young men when they where run over trying to defend their businesses from looters during the riots in August. The following day Mr Jahan appealed for calm and urged communities to stand together.

Delegates spent their lunch break supporting the anti-EDL “Love the Difference” demo in Birmingham city centre where people of all faiths joined together to demonstrate their rejection of the racist hate-filled views of the EDL and to embrace tolerance and respect.

Katy Hartland, Equality Officer


CWU Disability Conference, Birmingham Saturday 15th October 2011

This year’s Disability Equality Conference was held at the CWU Midland Regional headquarters.

There was one motion on the agenda from the South West, submitted by the South West No. 7 Branch. It called for the CWU, specifically the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) via the Equal Opportunities Department to liaise with the Postal Department to investigate Atos and the service they are providing via Royal Mail Group with a view to improving the service our members receive. Conference was heavily critical of Atos and also of Royal Mail Group manager’s ignorance of disability issues. There were many horror stories from members about the insensitive way in which they had been treated by Atos and their managers, and how Atos had been advising Royal Mail of members supposed fitness for work which was contrary to medical advice the member received from their own doctor.

Sandy Best, South West Regional Women's Secretary moving a motion on behalf of South West No7 Branch

Another recurrent issue debated at the Conference was the harm the Con-Dem cuts were causing our disabled members such as the closure of care homes and reduction of essential services provided to the elderly, adults with special needs and disabled people. 30% of disabled people live below the poverty line and under the coalition government’s economy drive, disabled people are set to lose at least £140 per month through direct cuts to disability benefits alone. They will also be declaring over a million sick and disabled people fit to work to force them off incapacity benefits while at the same time slashing access to work funding which helps employers with the cost of making any reasonable adjustment that would help that person perform their job. Conference called for the CWU to do everything possible to support disabled groups in their campaigns against these cuts.

There was also a motion regarding the “Hidden in Plain Sight” report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the issue of attacks against people with physical and mental disabilities. Evidence from the inquiry shows that hundreds of thousands of disabled people regularly experience harassment or abuse, but that public authorities are not tackling it effectively. The guest speaker at the Conference, Stephen Brookes, a disability and equality consultant, founded the National Disability Hate Crime Network. He pointed out that there was no such thing as a disability hate crime in law; it would be regarded as an ‘aggravated case’. The Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers definition of a disability hate crime is “…any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other persons to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability, or perceived disability”. Mr Brookes also said we should not view disabled people as vulnerable per se; everyone can be vulnerable in certain situations. To refer to disabled people as vulnerable is to degrade them, and make other people see them as victims which in turn make them more likely to be singled out for abuse. Conference called for the CWU to wholeheartedly campaign alongside the Equality and human Rights Commission to ensure any recommendations from the inquiry are taken up across the board.

Katy Hartland, Equality Officer.


Disability and Special Needs Conference 2009

The CWU Disabilities and Special Needs Conference is where CWU members decide what issues the CWU Disabilities and Special Needs Advisory Committee (DSNAC) will focus their work on over the coming year.

Over the previous year the DSNAC had been working on several projects including providing an on-line ‘tool-kit’ to help Equality Officers in their role and also running several campaigns such as raising awareness on autism, dyslexia and I.B.S. (Irritable Bowl Syndrome) and the effect these issues have on members in the work-place and how we can assist them. 

Motions this year were wide ranging, from raising awareness on diabetes to what position will the Union be taking in the assisted suicide debate to circulating relevant information from the forthcoming Equality Bill to reps.  

Gloucestershire Amal put forward a motion - proposed by Katy Hartland, Branch Equality Officer - on providing information and representation for ill-health retired members on the benefits system which was an issue raised by a retired member. Unfortunately it was not carried.

Katy Hartland addresses the conference

The DSNAC opposed the motion on the grounds that the benefits system is too complicated and it would be too much work for reps to take on. They also said that reps maybe liable to being sued if they gave the wrong advice.

We hope to be able to re-word this motion slightly to address the issues raised by the DSNAC and submit it to General Conference in June later this year as I believe the Union should be taking an active role in protecting the rights of our retired members. 

Although the DSNAC will take on board all of the Motions that are carried, there is a vote for two motions to go forward to General Conference to be debated and hopefully become CWU policy. 

The two Motions voted for this year were (1) for the CWU to provide information on the new Equality Bill for reps so they are up to date with relevant legislation, specifically the ‘double discrimination’ clause where someone can argue they have been discriminated on two different grounds (e.g. sexual orientation and age) and (2) for the CWU to produce a disability leave policy so people with disabilities don’t get fast-tracked on attendance procedures and sacked. 

"Equality Matters" is a publication of the South West Regional Equality Committee, edited by Gary Williams, Solent Branch.

The latest editions can be found below:


Black Workers Conference 2009

A delegation from the Branch recently attended the CWU Black Workers Conference which  was held in Belfast, despite the atrocious weather.

For a report of the conference, by Equality Officer Katy Hartland, please click Here

Members of the South West Regional Equality Committee

Members of the South West Regional Equality Committee, with National Equality Officer Linda Roy, at the Conference


DSNAC Conference 2008

A small delegation from the Branch recently attended the CWU Disability and Special Needs Conference which this year was held in Birmingham.

For a report of the conference, by Equality Officer Katy Hartland, please click Here


Gloucester Pride, 9 August 2008

A delegation from the branch attended the Pride March, through the streets of Gloucester, handing out the CWU OUTtalk magazine and some CWU whistles. This made for a noisy march.

Gloucester Pride March
Gloucester Pride March

Please take a little time to look at a blog by Luke Brown, Equality Rep for Bournemouth & Dorset Amal -

Equality Forever


Women's Members Newsletter. The Branch publishes our own quarterly Women's newsletter, which is edited by Katy Hartland and sent to the home addresses of our female members. Recent issues are reproduced below.

Newsletter 5 - Autumn 2008
Newsletter 4 - Summer 2008
Newsletter 3 - Spring 2008
Newsletter 2 - Winter 2007/8
Newsletter 1 - Autumn 2007
Note - You will need the Adobe Reader to view the above files. If you do not have it, it can be downloaded here - download link

LGBT Conference 2008

A delegation from the Branch recently attended the CWU LGBT Conference which  was held in Swansea.

For a report of the conference, by Equality Officer Katy Hartland, please click Here

The South West Regional Equality Committee with NEC members

The South West Regional Equality Committee with General Secretary Billy Hayes, Dave Daniel, LGBT Advisory Committee Chairman, and Equality Officer, Linda Roy, at the LGBT Conference in Swansea, Saturday 15th November 2008. Branch Equality Officer Katy Hartland is 3rd from the right.


Women's Conference 2009

A delegation from the Branch recently attended the CWU Women's Conference which  was held in Manchester.

A report can be found Here

The South West Regional Women's Committee

The South West Regional Women's Committee, with some members of the WAC, at the CWU Women's Conference 2009


Tolpuddle 2009

Members from the Branch attended the 175th Anniversary of the Tolpuddle Martyrs in Dorset. As well as the "Keep The Post Public" inflatable post box, there was a South West Equality stand, staffed by the South West Region Equality Committee,  which attracted a lot of interest throughout the day.

(Click on a picture for a larger image)


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