Workshop:
Combating racism and the role for unions

Brendon Batson Deputy Chief Executive Professional Footballers Association
Kamaljeet Jandu Policy Officer TUC
Samidha Garg Race Equality Officer NUT
Chair Manny Blake National Executive Officer CWU

Reporters Kathryn J Greene and Sri Jegarajah Trade union efforts to combat racism should be based on workplace organisation; on a collective response to racism; and a collective unity between black and white workers. Speakers at the workshop outlined the main issues surrounding the role of unions in tackling racism in and out of the workplace. Race issues, they argued, could not be separated from industrial issues.

"During the post-war period the jobs that black people came to Britain for were largely manual, low-paid, and with long hours", said Kamaljeet Jandu. "Fundamentally, it is still the same for black people today. In the long term, therefore, it's in the workplace and through employment policy that we can challenge racism."

Mr Jandu said that the trade union movement's anti-racist agenda should have a dual role. He argued that the perception of black workers, that existed during the days of mass migration to Britain, as a pool of cheap labour was essentially still our role today.

He said that the trade union movement is crucial to building links with black communities. The success of the TGWU campaign to recruit Heathrow Airport's black cleaning staff into the union exemplified this unifying dynamic. "The cleaners conditions of employment were Victorian" said Mr Jandu. "The result of the campaign was that terminals 2 and 4 are now completely unionised and working conditions dramatically improved."

Samida Garg strongly criticised the Government's proposed asylum and immigration legislation. Her union, the NUT, was particularly concerned about the proposals that head teachers and schools may be involved in immigration checks.

She argued that unions should represent black members more effectively. "Most cases taken up against race discrimination are backed by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) rather than unions. In order to build confidence amongst black members, unions must involve them at every level. This is a challenge which requires a sense of vision," she said.

Ms Garg said: "Union structures for women do not always take into the account the needs of black women". Female workers from ethnic minorities have to contend with both sexual and racial discrimination at work.

Ms Garg reinforced Kamaljeet Jandu's point about the unifying role of unions, adding that for unions to fight racism effectively they needed to present a united identity. "There is no place for sectarianism or any other unnecessary divisions," she said.

Brendon Batson, a former professional footballer for West Bromwich Albion told the group about the continuing success of Let's Kick Racism Out Of Football ­ the joint campaign of the PFA and the CRE.

"We are encouraging football clubs to promote the campaign in programme notes over their PA systems, by removing racist graffiti from the grounds, and through leafleting," he said.

Mr Batson believes that there is still institutionalised racism in Britain, therefore, the PFA is involved in several anti-racist initiatives. A poster campaign with the theme 'It's only the colour of the shirt that counts' goes up in all dressing rooms. The PFA also funded the 'Asians can't play football' conference in Birmingham.

"Good race relations do not come easy," said Mr Batson. "Therefore the more people, nationalities, races, cultures and creeds that get together then the better chance we've got."