The Equalities Deficit

Recently, in my role of Equalities Officer I attended a conference entitled 'The Equalities Deficit: Defending opportunity and fairness against the cuts'. Organised by the TUC, the one day conference was aimed at everybody 'who cares about the future of equality'. It was opened by Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, who spoke of the 'cultural, aspirational and social deficits' being left by the cuts. He spoke of the threats to quality of life now facing many groups at a disproportionate level to others and the widening gaps that were opening up between different sectors of society. What was clear was that nobody would be unaffected by the scale of the actions being taken by the government but that some would be more heavily affected than others and that these people were largely those who were already the most vulnerable in our society.

On the day of the conference new figures had just been released showing that unemployment had risen to 2.28 million and that women’s unemployment levels were at a twenty three year high. It seemed timely then that the TUC used the day to launch a new publication entitled the 'TUC Women and the Cuts Toolkit: How to carry out a human rights assessment of the spending cuts on women'. Women will be one of the groups most heavily hit by the consequences of both past and future cuts as the majority of public sector workers are women, women will lose more in cuts to benefits and are the majority of those providing unpaid care so are likely to be the ones having to shoulder the consequences of cuts to social care provision.

Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the education Union ATL, spoke of the impact of the cuts on children and families, teachers and plummeting levels of optimism within the education sector at a time when youth unemployment was reaching unprecedented levels. She spoke of the 'loss of hope' and the 'dignity of good work' being denied to the young along with the loss of financial support in education caused by the removal of the Education Maintenance Allowance. All this would lead to a generation of young people who feel that they hold no input into society and if you were unlucky enough to fall into more than one of the categories in which people are being disproportionately affected you could watch your chances be even further reduced. Young and Black? Young and a Woman? A woman from an ethnic minority group? Heaven forbid that you should then express a different sexual orientation or religious view. The picture painted was exceptionally bleak.

Rob Berkeley, Director of the Runnymede Trust, an independent policy-research organisation focusing on race and social policy then took up the platform to talk about the impact of the cuts on those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups. His message was one of the impacts of cuts to legal aid with minority groups being the first to experience the impact of the cuts. People from these groups were three times as likely to be unemployed and there already exists a 16% employment gap between black/Caribbean men and white men. Again the picture was one of growing inequality between different sectors of society.

The last speaker of the morning’s plenary session was Maria Exall, chair of the TUC LGBT committee and a member of the Communication Workers Union. She spoke of the shrinking of the state that was happening under the present government and the way the government are using the media to demonise those they are attacking to justify their programme of cuts. Budget cuts to youth support services and support for homeless people has led to young people facing an even tougher situation than previously. All this at a time when they may be coming to terms with a different sexual orientation and the consequences thereof. There have been cuts to services which offer advice and support and who promote education around issues such as sexuality. A lot of these support services available to young people have been taken over by faith-based groups from whom young people find that they can face even further discrimination around certain issues.

Following the bleak messages of the mornings speakers the question on conference attendees' minds was, 'how do we challenge the cuts from the position we now find ourselves in?' The morning workshop I attended was on Organising and Campaigning for Equality. Again the message from speakers was that things would not be easy to challenge and that a lot of campaigns had already been lost. However, there were also messages of hope and inspiration, positive campaigns which had been won and the repetition of the message that we need to stand together in challenging the future cuts that are being proposed.

Jane Holgate, senior lecturer and worker in work and employment relations at the University of Leeds, spoke about the idea of ‘community unionism’, where community-based organising and trade union organising worked more closely together to support each other's campaigns. She put it that if trade unions are to remain relevant in coming years they need to move from a more adversarial form of organising which leads to power issues, groups becoming divisory and self-interested, to a more cohesive stance, supporting solidarity not just across a trade-focused group but organising across workplace issues which affect the whole community. Unions will need to be more inclusive and work alongside organisations such as the Occupy movement, UK Uncut, BARAC and local groups such as Norfolk Coalition against the Cuts to achieve the best outcomes for their members. The future will be about building relationships and alliances, fostering non-conflictive ways of working and making democracy within the unions more inclusive to attract the widest possible member base and build the strength of union organisation.

The afternoon workshop I attended was titled 'Using the Public Sector Equality Duty' and covered issues around using the 2010 legislation as a campaign tool. Questions arose about how we could challenge the impact of the cuts on issues of equality within the framework of the 2010 Equalities Act, an act which many feel has reduced the power of equalities legislation by employers only having to show 'due regard' to equalities issues. Various views were held on this point but there was also mention of a few cases where the new legislation has been used effectively to challenge proposed cuts. When trying to look for the best way to challenge a series of cuts, the Equalities angle is still one which can be successfully used if a proposed measure is likely to disproportionately affect a particular group in society. Equality Impact Assessments will still remain a key part of an employer showing they have shown 'due regard' to equalities issues.

The afternoon workshops were followed by speeches and a question and answer session on areas that had been covered by the conference. There were some powerful speakers including Diana Holland, Assistant General Secretary for Equalities and an elected member of the TUC Women’s committee, Kate Pickett, co-author of ‘The spirit level: Why equality is better for everyone’ and Michael Rubenstein, writer and commentator on discrimination and employment law and General Editor of Equality Law Reports. Again there were a host of different issues raised which were all adding to the overall growing equalities deficit.

The conclusions I reached after listening to the various speakers at the conference were that the cuts are already affecting the most vulnerable in society disproportionately. I think there is little room to argue that they are not. They will continue to divide sectors of society further from each other, worsening equality amongst the population rather than improving it. This will lead to even greater social problems and a far less cohesive society. The thing that really struck me, however, was that at this time groups cannot afford to focus solely on the area that will be affecting them the most. We cannot fight back coherently if everyone is trying to shout the loudest to champion their own views to the detriment of other groups. What we need now is to be united and support each other’s struggles; to stand up and work together in solidarity.

If you find yourself thinking 'Why should I support that, it doesn’t affect me,' then don’t. The cuts are affecting and will continue to affect us all, anyone who works in public services, uses public services, the private sector, those from ethnically diverse groups and from a plethora of different backgrounds. If a cut is affecting women it is also affecting men in that they will see their wives, mothers and families being hit by the impact and they in turn will struggle more. The cuts are affecting young people and older people, those who are working and those who are not. The government and media would like us to believe that we are all separate groups and not interdependent. It makes it easier to break down support for campaigns which are challenging the nature of the way in which the cuts are being imposed. We must challenge these ideas and stand up for each other and the trade union movement has a continued role to play in this.

Following N30 I feel even more strongly that now is the time to stand together in challenging the pain the government's cuts are inflicting on our society. As we have recently seen in the media with the build-up to the strike, the media likes conflict. It makes for a better story and grips people more than hearing that largely there was a lot of support for something. The Equalities Deficit Conference and N30 have shown me one thing; that if we say ‘that’s their problem’ and ignore how cuts will affect a particular group, we can only lose those battles and also our own as others will not support us when we ourselves may need it most. On N30 people from all different backgrounds stood together to challenge the government; trade unions, students, the Occupy movement, workers from across the public and private sectors, pensioners and those unable to work all expressed support for dignity in retirement and challenged the government on proposed cuts to public sector pension schemes. Equality will only stand a chance if we now support each other in working for a fairer society and fighting back together against the deeper inequalities these cuts are causing.

Katherine Osborne is an Equalities Officer in the Norfolk County Branch of UNISON.

Conference Friday

The final day of LG Conference in Manchester began with motion 41, which concerned policeman being taken off the street to cover for redundant civilian workers despite the policeman being on a much higher wage. A police administrator earns £16,000 but a former police officer doing the same job gets £32,000. There have been articles written in Norfolk papers suggesting that our own local force will be pushing ahead with this policy and this will have an impact on the safety of our streets.

This led onto motion 53 which spoke of the loss of skills and experience due to the closure of the Connexions service and staff being made redundant. In Norfolk our Connexions Rep, Ruth Thacker, worked hard to organise the young people to campaign to save their service, but there was still a loss of staff. The mover of the motion made mention of a friend in Suffolk whose a leading light in Suffolk Against the Cuts, a likely reference to Ruth! The loss of Connexions staff will prohibit the social mobility of our children because those who currently give the advice are trained professionals in that specific area, while teachers are usually only qualified in the area that they teach.

A lengthy debate ensued about supporting members in the private and community sectors. Our members in the private sector pay the same rates as everyone, but frequently don't have access to the same resources. It is harder to support those in the voluntary sector despite our best efforts, though in Norfolk the presence of Julie Heywood in that sector (who provides fantastic support for her members) makes a real difference. Her role is made harder as it is more difficult to get recognition agreements in the private and voluntary sector.

We must make sure we represent members before and after transfers and outsourcing, providing a tailored approach to suit the circumstances. We need joint local bargaining committees to be strong and fight the reductions of terms and conditions. The community and voluntary sector is the third biggest service group in UNISON and the organisation needs to reflect this.

Motion 65 was called 'Campaigning with the community and voluntary sector to fight the cuts'. This motion demanded an audit of members so we can learn where our members are, build better links with them and help support their local communities. We noticed that there were lots of empty seats through this motion and thought it might be because delegates didn't think it applied to them, but by this time next year they could be working in these areas after being transferred over.

NEC Spokesman Clytus lightened the mood in the break by singing! Amongst certain other numbers was the classic 'There may be trouble ahead...'

Motion 101 concerned equality in marriage and civil partnerships. The only reason that same-sex marriages aren't allowed is because it's believed by some to be a threat to the institution of marriage and to the fabric of society. Philip O'Shea spoke about his desire to get married like Kate did to William, he too wants to marry his prince. He wants to get married in church and he wants to be able to leave his pension to his partner. A civil partnership lacks the love and romance associated with marriage. While the Labour Party made huge inroads into equality with transgender and civil partnerships, we know that we still have a way to go.


Motion 76 sought to actively oppose cuts in the welfare state and highlight the devastating impact theses cuts can have on the most vulnerable in our society. Disability Living Allowance is not a benefit in the truest sense but an allowance that takes into consideration the increased living costs that those with a disability face in order to live an ordinary life.

We finished with an agreement to protect our right to take industrial action, as this government plans to weaken our rights. One amendment asked us to continue to work with the United Campaign to Repeal the Anti-Trade union Laws and the Institute of Employment Rights to promote trade union rights.

Conference Sunday 2011

In the first of a number of daily blog updates, Jo Rust updates us daily from National Conference 2011, currently being held in Manchester. These updates have been edited by Kris Holt.


UNISON's National Conference began in earnest on Sunday with the annual report. A tsunami of cuts are hitting all areas of public life, with the country's most vulnerable being victimised by these savage cuts. Cameron's oft repeated mantra that these cuts are inevitable because the last government maxed out the credit card is a lie - if there is money to pay for wars, there's money to pay for public services.

Dave Prentis is leading negotiations on pensions and we are still in negotiation but if we don't get what we want, we have to be prepared to strike. It is important to win that ballot and win with a majority. We will do it together with our sister unions all over the country and with our private sector colleagues whose pensions have been hit too. The government claim is that the cuts are necessary because we're living longer and things as they stand are not sustainable. However, there is a strong feeling that these attacks are about making it cheaper so we can be taken over by private companies. The message to Cameron, we're the ones who are in this together.

A composite is a type of special conference motion created by merging multiple proposed motions with the same goal. As you might expect, there were a number of motions defending the pension scheme (LGPS) and Composite E defended this. It is time to tackle the notion that our pension scheme is gold-plated - women workers only get an average of £55 a week. The LGPS is healthy, with more money going in than being paid out. It was stated that we need a strong voice from the Labour leader, Ed Milliband.

30th June 2011 is beginning to look more and more like the first general strike as more and more areas are coming out in support. The RMT union are striking on the day over the reinstatement of a member and the prison officers are having a two hour walk out on the day. While our members were speaking in support of Composite E, our General Secretary Dave Prentis was live on Sky News refuting the claims of Treasury Spokesman Danny Alexander.

By making the LGPS more expensive and less profitable fewer people will join it and it'll become weaker for our future beneficiaries. The mantra "pay more, work longer and get less" was repeated by nearly every speaker. Employers have been allowed pension holidays while our members have never been able to take one. Once members are transferred over to the new scheme, they could lose their pension protection. It's down to us to make people understand and become aware because the right wing press are never going to put across our side of the story.


Motion 36 concerned black workers and the LGPS. Pension cuts hit us all but hits black people even worse as they're three times more likely to live in poverty in old age. Black workers are more likely to suffer redundancies. Black women are often the main breadwinners in their households and frequently have two jobs. Conference identified the link between low pay and low pensions and it was claimed that the wealth of the rich has doubled since the 1970s.

Motion 6 dealt with the effect of the cuts on rural communities. These communitites are reliant on private transport but having to cut it back because of rising fuel prices and lower wages. Ironically, those factors mean that public transport becomes increasingly vital. Services have to be delivered differently in rural areas because people can't just walk into the town and get a service in the way that those living in urban areas can. However, the nature of rural communities means that they are often not seen as a priority.

Motion 9 speaking up for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) equality in a time of cuts in Local Government. LGBT workers have been among then last to gain the protection of the law and they have been disproportionately hit by the cuts. In addition to this, they face being bullied at work but fear to complain while their jobs are under threat.

Motion 16 referred to youth services in crisis. Cuts to youth services are a false economy, reducing access to work and the chance to empower younger people to achieve in future. Youth work enlightens young people, raises self-esteem and aspirations. Attacking the young people of today was described as 'an attack on the future'.

Composite B investigated ways to use equality to fight the cuts agenda. The motion believes that Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA) are the best way for councils to demonstrate that they have placed due regard to their equality duties. The flawed notion of 'Big Society' cannot replace properly funded public services. Some branches play a very active part in the formation of their EqIA and then meet up to discuss lessons learned. A high court judge recently ruled that the changes to equality legislation made no difference to the need for councils to do EqIA fully and properly with consultation, and this made Birmingham City Council change their plans to cut children's services.


Finally, Composite A campaigned against Local Government cuts and for a fairer deal for all. Local authorities are shedding jobs, services and people at an unprecedented level. We cannot support councils who set illegal or irresponsible budgets, instead working with them to set parallel budgets and ensure that they are accountable. Nearly four million children in modern day Britain are living in poverty and some of those live in homes where there is a working adult.

We know that this government is influenced by public opinion and so we have to make sure the public fully understand why we are taking this stance. We need coordinated action between all service sectors and other unions. The Southampton strike is now entering a sixth week of action and we need to support it. Local support remains high despite media lies. Meanwhile, Crawley Council have lent Southampton Council £5 million to help them combat the impact of the strike action but a UNISON speaker from Southampton made it clear that they will never give up the fight. Within UNISON, an injury to one is an injury to all. We must stand together, unite and fight, make the public understand, then we can win this fight.

Campaign Against The Cuts - Progress

The campaign against public sector cuts is making progress. The Liberal Democrat element of the Coalition Government have wobbled over the Thatcherite plans to 'reform' (aka brutalise) the NHS and the weakness of the Tories has been exposed by their inability to force these cuts through. Andrew Lansley has called a temporary halt to the legislation for further consultation on the proposals. A fig leaf if ever there was one for an admission that right-wing Tories knew they couldn’t get their plans approved by Parliament.

We have to keep the pressure up both nationally and locally. Norfolk MPs need to hear from their voters that pursuing such cuts will lose them votes. Norwich South Liberal MP Simon Wright wobbled over whether to keep his promise on student tuition fees. It appears only when he did the maths and worked out his parliamentary majority hung on the large student vote in his constituency did he agree to his pre election promise. This was probably with Nick Clegg’s agreement as the behaviour of the Liberal Democrats MPs shows they are more interested in maintaining political power than sticking by their political principles. Their behaviour in Government does nothing to wipe away the memories of the MPs expenses scandal which cast a shadow over all three of the main political parties.

Locally we are keeping up the pressure as part of the TUC 'There is an alternative' campaign. On 2 May Bank Holiday the May Day celebration in Norwich will be relaunched. Between 12.00 and 3.00 pm there will be an event in Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich. There will be live music and speakers with the theme being the campaign against NHS 'reform'. I hope to see as many UNISON members there as possible. The NHS is built on the principles that should underpin all public services. If Andrew Lansley’s plans come to fruition it will inevitably have a considerable impact on the rest of the public sector. It will also be bad news for us as individuals who benefit from our NHS service. We need to keep up the pressure as a union and as union members.

Jonathan Dunning is the Branch Secretary of the Norfolk County Branch of UNISON.

Cuts, cuts, cuts

Cuts, cuts, cuts – it is just like the last Tory Government. Many UNISON members were not too impressed with the previous Labour Government but there is no way they would have cut local government funding part way through the financial year causing mayhem in the process. There is no way they would have axed 16 to 19 education, the time students are being prepared for the real world. 65 people in Norfolk Connexions Service providing a front line service to young people now face redundancy. There is no way they would have axed the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project. The axing of BSF sums up what we face.

Many of us were educated in tatty Victorian schools or if we were lucky schools built in the 1930s, 1950s or 1960s when previous Labour Governments improved school buildings as a priority. Many of these buildings are no longer fit for purpose in a computer dominated world and the cost in renovation and maintenance can be colossal. Much better to knock them down and build schools designed to facilitate education in the 21st century. It also provides jobs for the design and building & construction industries.

To me it seems illogical to sacrifice BSF when our very future depends on the quality of education we provide to our young people. We can find money to fund foreign wars that make the cost of BSF insignificant so I really don’t believe this is about being forced to cut the budget deficit. The Conservative and Liberal Government have opted to cut BSF and other public services ordinary people benefit from in preference to cuts in military spending where the UK outspends most of our European partners. The Government claim BSF bureaucratic and costly yet the National Audit Office says it provided value for money!

This may be what people voted for when they voted Conservative at the last election but it flies in the face of everything the Liberal Democrats have stood for over the last decade (they were the only big political party to oppose the Iraqi war remember). I believe what Liberal Democrat MPs who support the Chancellors proposals are doing makes the expenses scandal seem respectable. UNISON members who are seeing their public services cut need to make their views known to their MPs and support the union nationally and locally in opposing what this Government is trying to do to our society. We have to act now before the Tories say once again “there is no such thing as society”.

People in Greece and Spain are showing their Governments they will not accept swingeing cuts to the public services they value. In the UK the campaign against the poll tax showed people power could deliver, we need to be ready to act again.

- Jonathan Dunning, Branch Secretary.