Received from: UCU
Congress notes the continued normalisation of far-right discourse and action within the public realm at home and abroad. This includes but is not limited to:
i. the rise in racist hate crime and speech in the UK, including far-right protest and Nazi salutes in London framed as defending ’free speech’
ii. the impending closure of universities deemed hostile to the government in Hungary without any real sanction from fellow European states
iii. recent comments by Italian MPs to draw up lists of Roma and “purifying the streets of Italy”
iv. the on-going drive by the Trump Administration to “other” migrants that has led to vulnerable children separated from parents and held in chain link cages.
Congress believes the answer to this lies in part with a full embrace of the best of our union principles – internationalism and solidarity. This must include the
strong defence of our links with sister unions across all nations and continuation to prioritise the role of organised workers in speaking out, organising and
campaigning against the chauvinist, divisive, racist and sexist policies that all too often are freely touted across the globe.
Congress affirms policy passed at Congress 2017 on freedom of movement and defending the rights of all workers in Britain.
Congress calls on the General Council to:
a. continue to challenge the current UK immigration system, which can also separate families.
b. support campaigns and union initiatives that promote equality and diversity in our workplaces and communities.
University and College Union
AMENDMENT
- In paragraph 1 insert new bullet point ii.:
“ii. the Football Lads Alliance (FLA) attempting to organise football supporters in demonstrations against ‘extremism’; - In final paragraph add sub-paragraph c. :
“c. launch a Jobs, Homes, Not Racism campaign to unite the wider trade union movement and to campaign effectively against the far right.”
Unite