[2020] Motion 19 Time to act on systemic inequalities exposed by Covid-19

Composited motion

Received from:

Merged into composite 06

Congress condemns centuries of racism and colonialism powerfully exposed by Black Lives Matter and unites in opposing structural inequality, discrimination and entrenched disadvantage faced by women, Black and Asian ethnic minority workers, disabled and LGBT+ workers, including the decade of austerity, which have meant unequal exposure, disproportionate impact and deaths from Covid-19.

Ten years after the Equality Act 2010, Congress condemns the government’s failure to enact Section 1 to redress socio-economic and class inequalities; the removal of third party harassment suffered by front line workers during the pandemic; the removal of dual discrimination to enable BME women to challenge dual discrimination they have faced; and the use of Covid-19 to lift gender pay reporting requirements, and much more.

Women and Black and Asian ethnic minority workers are over-represented in low paid, undervalued occupations and sectors our society now finds essential, where the risk factor is high.

Congress calls for action and for the TUC General Council with TUC Women’s, Black Workers, Disabled Workers and LGBT+ Committees to:

i. build on the achievements of the Stephen Lawrence Task Group to address institutional racism and all forms of institutional sexism, disability and LGBT+ discrimination and structural inequality

ii. ensure equality impact assessments alongside risk assessments as a legal requirement

iii. prioritise safety, jobs and income, with action to:

  • close gender pay gaps, identify and close ethnicity and other equality pay gaps, protect pregnant women, support childcare and caring
  • rebuild and strengthen the Equality Act and EHRC, including statutory rights for union equality representatives and union equality education.

Unite