National Delegate Conference 17-20 June
2008
An end to injustice, prejudice and discrimination
by Jane Aitchison
 UNISON
and UNISON members do not tolerate racism, said Norma Stephenson,
UNISON's National President, as she urged branches to build on their
good work with Show Racism the Red Card.
Norma explained that in spite of breaking her leg at her first
public event, a Show Racism the Red Card Event, this is the Charity
closest to her heart.
"The President can choose a piece of work to make their own during
the year - and boy did I love that one! Just in case you hadn't
heard, I'm from Middlesborough and am an enthusiastic footie fan
and so it wasn't a great leap to combine that interest with another,
more political interest.”
"UNISON helped to establish this charity and has been involved
with it for over ten years. It's been brilliant in aiming to combat
racism by using footballers to present an anti-racist message to
young people and others.”
"As a charity, Show Racism the Red Card needs financial support
and this is where you and your members come in. It's not expensive
and it is important. I'm already a long way to reaching my objective
of signing all our branches up - but I can always use more. So get
signing” Norma warned that we shouldn't be complacent following
the BNP's lack of success at the May elections in England,
"We need to challenge them - wherever and whenever we can
- all year round and particularly at election times - whether they
be local, regional, national or in Europe”. Norma, continued on
her hopes and aspirations as a life long trade unionist, "my desire
to see an end to injustice, prejudice and discrimination what being
a trade unionist means to me.”
Critical of the Labour Government, many of its policies and its
inability to listen to its real supporters, the workers, Norma warned
not to forget the Thatcher years and added "We have been successful
in the Labour Party - a good deal of which has gone into government
in one guise or another. We know it's not enough. That's why we
have to continue to engage - but not from the wilderness. From within
- through our political fund, but not just by paying a fee, by getting
involved at branch level in local constituencies, engaging with
MPs and councillors”.
"We should not be bailing out on Labour. We should be continuing
to push our policies, our arguments, or evidence for what they have
to change, In order to keep our support.” Norma outlined ‘UNISON's
vision for public services' a new publication reinforcing the Positively
Public message, calling for the reduction of reliance on the private
sector, real opportunities for public service workers to develop
their skills, and engaging user communities who need the services.
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