|
Scottish Black Members Committee
Report to NBMC—04 June 2007
The Scottish Black members Committee
continues to implement two main objectives.
- To raise a positive profile of the Committee
within UNISON
- To increase involvement of Black members, within
Scottish UNISON
1. National Black Member’s Conference
-
National Black members Conference
took place in Liverpool from 19 to 21 January
2007.
-
UNISON Scotland branches supported
SBMC’s call, by sending 6 delegates and 2 visitors
from various branches to the conference.
-
SBMC is all praise for UNISON
Scotland / its branches for their commitment to
the effective participation of black members at
National level and Regional level.
-
At the conference, SBMC moved
two motions which were unanimously carried.
-
Black Members Training Weekend
- UNISON Black Members Training Weekend will be
organised after consultations with black members
regarding their training needs.
- The Scottish Learning & Organising Committee
in its recent meeting expressed its commitment
to support organise SBMC training weekend, which
is scheduled to take place at Edinburgh, hopefully
in September 2007.
- SBMC has forwarded the details of "Mainstreaming
of Equality" training programme to the Regional
Learning & Organising Committee, for action.
The programme was developed by Mr Pav Akhtar our
National Equality Officer. The Regional Learning
& Organising Committee has assured SBMC that
it has set up a sub-committee to consider the
national training programme, and to deal with
Scottish Black Members training issues.
- The SBMC seeks support from Scottish branches,
to send more and more new black members to attend
SBMC training event.
-
TUC BM Conference 2007 and
STUC
- The SBMC adopted the existing procedure to send
elected black members to represent our self organising
group on TUC Black Members Conference 2007 and
STUC 2007.
- The SBMC agreed to nominate Hamid Rasheed (to
attend TUC Black Members Conference 2007) and
Ravi Nathan (to represent SBMC at STUC 2007).
- Both SBMC reps took active part in debates and
delivered speeches on motions agreed by UNISON
delegate to the two conferences.
-
Anti BNP activities:
- Produced 6 page special Anti- BNP NEWSLETTER,
to reinforce the message, not to cast vote
for BNP in May 2007 elections.
- Active Anti-BNP campaigning, distribution of
leaflets, by hand and electronically among black
members.
- Ravi, Bernard and Hamid manned Unison Stall
at "Allah Made Me Funny", anti racism event which
took place in Glasgow.
-
Development of Black Self Organising
Groups in Scottish Branches:
- This year SBMC set up a target for itself to
form at least one SOG in a Scottish Branch. SBMC
has achieved this target.
- A black self organising group at NHS Lothian
Health Branch has been shaped up.
- It is the first SOG of its kind in NHS Scottish
Branches.
- This SOG will be fully functional immediately
after its first meet on 30 June 2007.
- The chair SBMC congratulated the branch for
its support and praised the efforts of its
black equality officers (David Okalo Olwa and Lui
Giacomo), for their work in creation of the SOG.
- Work is in progress, to shape black SOG at Glasgow
Health branch, Fife Local Government branches.
-
Show Racism The Red Card:
- SBMC members actively participated in last years
"Show Racism the Red Card" fortnight
of events.
- In Perth, SBMC members staged an event to build
community cohesion by involving the Perth and
Kinross branch of UNISON, St Johnston Football
Club, and Local Muslim Community.
- The event was the first of its kind in Perthshire,
and received massive publicity by the local and
regional media.
-
St Andrew’s Day March
To ensure accountability; SBMC aims
to present regular report on its activities to the
future NBMC, Scottish Committee and Scottish Council
meetings.
Ravi Nathan / Hamid Rasheed
Scottish Black Members Committee
Representatives
|
Scotland's
public service union
|
