Black and Ethnic Equality

The Committee has been looking at issues such as racial harassment and how to increase the numbers of black and ethnic minority people both in the union and in the industry. It is very clear that black people are woefully under-represented in the industry and this must change.

The Committee has been working closely with employers to increase the numbers of black and ethnic minority (BEM) drivers recruited. Guidance given to employers is to use the 'black' press (e.g. The Voice and Eastern Eye etc) to advertise vacant positions and also to state in any advertising that applications are welcomed from BEM people who are under-represented in their workforce.

The Committee sent out a survey to all black members on the ASLEF membership database asking them what they want from the union. It was clear though, that racial harassment is a major concern to many black members.

ASLEF sends a full delegation to the TUC Black Worker's Conference and in 2006 the motion they sent was on the tragedy of HIV and AIDS in mainland Africa. The committee were appalled to hear that potentially 40 million people in Africa have died or will die of AIDS in this decade if something is not done - and done urgently.

A number of committee members have undertaken the TUC's Racism Online course to help them in their role as committee members. The Committee also produces a newsletter entitled 'Fresh Tracks'.

HIV/AIDS

This issue has been one of the main campaigns that the committee have been involved in this year. They are working closely with the LGBTCC to produce a pamphlet that gives best practice guidelines for those dealing with the issue in the workplace. Their interest was stirred by the horrifying statistics that are emerging from Africa, and ASLEF are campaigning for government intervention to allow countries to produce generic versions of the HIV drugs under licence which will mean much greater numbers of people will have access to life saving drugs.

In the UK we do not know how many people are currently infected with the HIV virus, as the only people who are routinely screened are pregnant women (this is because if the mother is HIV+ they can deliver the baby by caesarian section and there will be a less than 1% chance that she will pass the infection to her baby). Terrence Higgins Trust estimate there may be as many as 100,000 people in the UK who are infected and may not be aware of it. The biggest growth are for new infection is heterosexual people between the ages of 18 and 25. With modern drugs, HIV is no longer the automatic death sentence it was once thought to be, and many of those people infected I the 1980's are still alive and well today. The committee are keen that this issue is taken seriously as a work-place issue and no train drivers will be persecuted or harassed because of their HIV+ status.

LRD has just published a new booklet called Black and minority ethnic workers - tackling discrimination, which looks at what trade unions can do and are doing to recruit, organise and support BME workers, particularly at branch level. Details on how you can order this booklet can be found at the Labour Research Development website.

Black and Enthic Equality in 2007

This years TUC Black Workers conference was held in Bristol to commemorate 200 years since the abolition of slavery. Paul Patmore was the ASLEF delegate, read his report here.

The TUC Race Relations Committee met on 19th June 2007. Floyd Doyle, ASLEFs BEMCC National Chair attended the meeting, read his report here.

Floyd also attended the TUC Race Relations Committee meeting on 16th October 2007. Click here to read his report.

The 2007 STUC Black Workers Conference took place in Perth, Scotland, in November 2007, Paul Patmore was the ASLEF delegate, read his report here.

Black and Ethnic Equality in 2006

TUC Black Worker's Conference 2006 - ASLEF sent a full delegation to this year's conference in April. Read the full report here.

STUC Black Workers Conference - Paul Patmore was the delegate to the 2006 STUC Black Worker's Conference in Perth in September, read his report on the event. Paul also attended the 9th Annual STUC Black Workers Conference in Sterling at the begining of October 2005. Read his report on the conference