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Respect for diversity – the role of trade unions in supporting diversity

Britain today is a diverse society made up of many different people. Obvious differences are between:

• young and old
• men and women
• straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender
• Catholics, Hindus, Protestants and Muslims (examples of religious groupings)
• rich and poor
• able-bodied and disabled
• white and black and minority ethnic members of communities.

One of the reasons why the British economy has been so successful has been because we benefit from diversity . An obvious example of this is in our ability to compete in a global economy . British businesses trade with companies from across the globe, and so foreign language skills are important. Because we have such a rich multiracial society we have large populations who are fluent in two languages – English and a second language such as Mandarin Chinese, Punjabi, and Gujarati (languages spoken by millions of people in India and elsewhere), as well as other European languages such as French and Italian.

Despite the benefits of diversity, trade unions such as UNISON have had to constantly battle to fight for the rights of minority groups in society. Trade Unions are organisations that are set up to represent the interests of paid employees in the work place. They are funded by their members. UNISON is the UK's largest trade union. Its 1.3 million members work in public and other essential services such as nursing. UNISON does a lot of work with young people to promote respect of other people's identities and promoting the concept of shared values. Over two thirds of its members are women. Approximately 10% of members are black. Black employees in the public services are among the lowest paid and most undervalued workers.

Inequality in the labour market today is illustrated by the pay gap between men and women. The price of that pay gap to women workers is estimated to be £1 billion. Women working full-time earn, on average, 82% of the hourly earnings of men working full time. The gap is even bigger for part-time workers. Part-time workers only receive 60% of the hourly pay of men working full time. Some occupations, such as school meals workers, are typically nearly all done by women.

UNISON has made wage equality one of its main aims, and it has been successful. Women in unions earn on average nearly 90% of the hourly pay of their male counterparts, but UNISON continues to campaign to end the pay gap.

Trade Unions like UNISON also stand up for the rights of their diverse groups of members in many other ways. For example, by:

•  bargaining for improved maternity rights . Maternity rights directly affect over half of the population and indirectly affect most workers. Through pressuring the government trade unions have been able to get improved maternity rights. Since 2003 pregnant women who have worked for 26 weeks by the 15th week when their baby is due (and who earn over £77 a week) are entitled to 90% of their average earnings for 6 weeks, and further maternity pay for the next 20 weeks.

•  bargaining for improved rights for transgender workers . As a result it is now unlawful (as a result of the Gender Recognition Act, 2004 ) to discriminate against a transgender worker for the purpose of employment, for example by holding them back from promotion.

•  improving the conditions of disabled workers so that today it is unlawful to discriminate against disabled people in employment in some circumstances such as access to training.

•  encouraging the government to pass the Race Relations (amendment) Act 2000 which gives public authorities such as schools a legal responsibility to promote race equality.

•  Public authorities today have a responsibility to:

•  eliminate unlawful racial discrimination

•  promote equal opportunities

•  promote good race relations.

Glossary of terms

Disability discrimination – Many employees still see disabled people as a burden, despite evidence that disabled workers perform just as well as their non-disabled colleagues. Discrimination against the disabled involves treating them less favourably without ‘justified reason' in respect of:

•  recruitment/dismissal

•  selection and promotion

•  terms and conditions of employment

•  training

•  any discrimination in relation to other benefits

•  subjecting any individual to any other form of discrimination such as harassment.

Diversity – being different. A diverse society is one in which there are lots of different types of people.

Ethnic – of or related to a human group having racial, religious, language and other traits in common.

Gender Recognition Act, 2004 – this Act came into force on 4 April, 2005. It now means that people can gain legal recognition for their acquired gender.

Global economy – international system of producing and trading between countries that are spread out across the globe.

Maternity rights – legal entitlements of women around the time of giving birth (before and after).

Minority – a group that is different racially, politically etc from a larger group of which it is a part.

Pay gap – the difference in pay between two sections of the working population e.g. between men and women.

Public authorities – Government bodies and organisations.

Public services – Government run services such as hospitals.

Trade union – An association of employees who join together to improve their pay or working conditions or to gain better rights for their members.

Transgender workers – A transgender person is someone who has a deep conviction that their gender (whether they are a man or a woman) is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Most transgender people wish to change their name and personal details and live as a member of the gender with which they identify. This may involve hormone therapy and surgery. The process is referred to as ‘gender reassignment'.

UNISON – UNISON is the UK's largest trade union. Members work in several different industries, e.g. local government, healthcare, education, the utilities (electricity, gas, water), transport, the police service, the voluntary sector, call centres.

Worksheet activities

respect for diversity – the role of trade unions in supporting diversity

Here are a number of activities to help you with your learning about diversity and the role that trade unions play in helping to support diversity.

Carry out the activities on the sheets provided.

1. A trade union is an association of employees who form together to press for better conditions and pay for working people. They are particularly concerned to improve the conditions of groups of their members who may be considered as minorities.

Fill in the following table giving an example of how a particularly minority group may be discriminated against at work. We have given you an example to start you off:

2. For each of the examples in the table (activity 1) explain how a trade union like UNISON may help them to secure better opportunities. We have given you an example to start you off:

3. Childcare is extremely important for both men and women. As women become an equal part of the workforce more affordable childcare is needed. Men also want and need flexibility at work so they can carry out their parenting responsibilities.

Trade unions like UNISON want employers to provide better childcare opportunities. For example, one thing that employers could do is to provide a holiday play scheme so that facilities are available for employees' children to have access to play facilities during the school holidays. Can you think of two other ways that employers might help their employees with childcare?

4. How can childcare arrangements be improved? An important role of a trade union is to find out how to improve conditions at work.

Here is part of a Childcare Survey used by UNISON. Study the survey and then explain how it would help UNISON to help parents with children to get better rights in the workplace.

Unison Childcare Survey

  About you

1. Are you Male? Female?

2. How many hours do you work? ________ hours a week.

About your children

3. How many children are you responsible for?

__0-12 months ___1-3 years ___3-5 years ___ 5-8 years ___ 8-16 years

About your childcare arrangements

4. How are they looked after? Child minder ? Nursery ? Family ? Other ?

5. How long are they looked after for?

___hours a week between 8am to 6pm _____hours a week outside of 8am to 6pm

6. How do you feel about your current childcare arrangements?

Very satisfied ? Satisfied ? Dissatisfied ? Very dissatisfied

7. If there were more help at work, what would you prefer? (Please number, 1 = most wanted)

___direct financial support ___ more flexible working arrangements

___workplace nursery ___ more time off around time of birth

___ after school scheme ___ increased paid parental leave

___ holiday playscheme ___ increased unpaid parental leave

8. Would you use a workplace nursery? Yes ? No ?

5. Despite 30 years of equal pay legislation in the UK, the pay gap between men and women persists. What do you understand by the pay gap? What reasons would you put forward to explain this pay gap?

6. Some occupations such as school meals workers and hospital domestics are nearly all part-time.

Part-timers still get an unfair deal at work. They are paid less than half the pay of male full-time workers and often lose out when it comes to training, promotion and pensions.

Why do you think that these workers get an unfair deal at work?

7. Study the following statements. Explain which of them you think are true and which are false:

8. List two actions that trade unions might take to narrow the gap between the wages of men and women?

Lesson plans

Lesson plan 1 – Trade unions and diversity – supporting childcare for employees

This lesson is planned for a one hour session.

As a result of carrying out the activities designed for this lesson students should be able to:

•  explain what is meant by diversity and give examples of diverse groups typically found in a modern British workplace.

•  identify ways in which trade unions can support the needs of some of these groups.

•  understand why effective childcare arrangements are important for employees

•  explain how a trade union like UNISON can find out about the childcare arrangements of its members.

Lesson outline

The resources required for this lesson are:

1. The stimulus material – Respect for diversity
2. Glossary of terms
3. Activities 1 – 4.

How the lesson can be organised:

Lesson plan 2 – Campaigning for equal pay

This lesson is planned for a one hour session. As a result of carrying out the activities designed for this lesson students should be able to:

•  know that there is a pay gap between the wages of men and women in this country

•  explain how belonging to a trade union can help to narrow this gap

•  understand how trade unions can take action to narrow this gap.

The resources required for this lesson are:

1. The stimulus material - Respect for diversity
2. Glossary of terms
3. Activities 5 - 8.

How the lesson can be organised: