We are delighted to announce that Kemoy Walker has won the 2022 Nelson Mandela Award. Kemoy says “Winning this award is a fantastic achievement. I do lots of things in my local community for the love and passion but it’s great to be recognised as a beacon of that community. It’s a massive achievement and […]
Nearly two years from the start of the pandemic, we have seen and heard how covid has disproportionately impacted on our Black members in the workplace, with sometimes devastating consequences. But even before the pandemic, racism at work exacerbated the health and safety risks Black workers face. Third party racial harassment and abuse; bullying and […]
UNISON Eastern activist Charan Sekhon has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to charity, diversity and the environment, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Charan, the first Sikh Environment Agency officer to receive the honour, is the founder of Bedford-based charity SEVA Trust UK, as well as a UNISON branch […]
UNISON activist Macdonald Neife was awarded Police Staff of the Year by the National Black Police Association (NBPA) last month. The gong, presented at a ceremony hosted by Bedfordshire Constabulary in Luton, is for a member of police staff who has actively and positively promoted equality and fairness within the police service over a significant […]
As Black History Month draws to a close for another year, we asked some leading UNISON Eastern Black activists on why this time of year is important to them. Black History Month is important to me because it’s a time I use to stop and reflect on how great it is to be Black, I […]
As Black History Month draws to a close, we teamed up with Aspire Black Suffolk to speak to students from Suffolk One about their future aspirations and why Black history is important to them.
Racism in all its forms is objectionable. Islamophobia is a more nuanced form of hate. UNISON recognises the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) definition of Islamophobia, which is as follows: ‘Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness’ This is just one description – there […]
The fight for equality runs through everything we do the whole year round, says Tim Roberts
We’ve heard a lot about health inequalities since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but what are they exactly? Health inequalities are the disparities in occurrence, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes between groups of people. Covid-19 has had a disproportionate impact on Black communities in the UK. A number of factors have contributed to this, including […]
Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the the contributions of African, Asian and Caribbean people to the economic, cultural and political life in the UK. We’ll be hosting a Black History Weekend 15-16 October, featuring historian David Olusoga.
UNISON condemns the vile online racism towards the England football team
Tell us about your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic – and join the prize draw for shopping vouchers
Pride Month may be over but for Collina Angus, UNISON learning rep at Loughborough University, equalities are a year-round passion. That’s something that she’s combined with learning to create a dynamic, engaging series of online events, inviting experts to share their knowledge with members at the university. She began last October with an event for […]
Fringe event at special delegate conference calls on Black staff to organise, take control and make change happen
As a result of COVID-19, many conferences and meetings have had to be cancelled. With this in mind, UNISON South East organised a series of online sessions in place of the usual regional Equality Conference–online and live. The Conference was opened by Regional Manager and Head of Equality, Jo Galloway. “This year has been like […]
