National Delegate Conference 16-19 June 2008

Disabled people disproportionately affected by recession

Mary Platt

During a recession, disabled people face greater hardship than non-disabled people and conference committed UNISON to continuing its work to protect disabled people from further poverty caused by the recession and discrimination; and to make sure that it promotes a disability perspective in its campaigning work on this issue.

First time delegate and speaker Mary Platt from South Ayrshire, spoke of her own experience as a disabled person in employment.

"You may not believe it but I remember the last recession in the 70s and there was discrimination even then," she said and described how, as a young trainee back then she was asked if she would live long enough to complete her traineeship.

"I've been a union member all my working life, and it was management attitudes to disability that made me become active, to give all groups in the workplace a voice."

Mary told delegates that during a recession disabled members are disproportionally targeted through capability policies or ill-health retrial which breaches the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equality Act, and she urged delegates to back the motion.

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