Overseas Nurses Network research points to importance of trade unions

by Sofi Taylor NEC

Trade unions must support migrant workers. Migrants are willing to integrate however we as a society must not put up barriers to stop this process.

This was the message from Dr Helen Crawley to a recent meeting at UNISON Black Members Conference in Glasgow. The meeting heard feedback on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's (JRF) report based on the flagship research - Rhythms and Realities of Everyday Life - carried out in Glasgow.

JRF research was carried at six different sites across Britain and Northern Ireland and examines the integration of new and settled migrants over the last two years.

The Overseas Nurses Network is a key partner of this work and our members contributed extensively.

At the fringe meeting, chaired by UNISON's Matt Smith, Dr Helen Crawley (from London Metropolitan University), author of the JRF report "Site in Glasgow" said that migrant workers were drawn to Glasgow to meet the shortage of health workers, but faced racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

Wilf Sullivan, TUC Race Relations Policy Officer, stressed the need for unions to organise in the workplace, or lose out on issues facing migrant workers.

Wilf said, "UNISON Scotland's Overseas Nurses Network (ONN) is dear to my heart, and ONN work is the right way forward to end the plight of migrant workers".

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