Racism in the Workplace. Motion 10

NEU Cymru, Wales’s largest education union, has concerns over the rise in racism in our schools and colleges with both black students and staff facing varying degrees of racist abuse.

The National Education Union Cymru will be looking to work collaboratively across all education sectors and with education trade unions to create a programme of training for education professionals which challenges racism and promotes positive change. The union will also promote the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racism Plan, in addition to the NEU Anti-Racism Charter to all representatives.

Stuart Williams, Wales Policy Officer of the National Education Union Cymru, said:

“Our members recognise the challenges faced with tackling unconscious bias and micro aggressions in addition to both overt and covert racism in the workplace.

“All forms of racism are abhorrent, and our members are clear when they say that more must be done to support education professionals and students to make them feel safe and supported to challenge and call out this behaviour. 

“We will do everything we can to make education professionals feel valued and listened to in the workplace. We know the Welsh Government is committed to an anti-racist Wales and want to support them to make this a reality.”

ENDS

The text of the motion to conference on this issue was as follows:

Motion 10. Racism in the Workplace

Conference Cymru notes there is a rise in racism in our schools and colleges with both students and staff from Black backgrounds facing varying degrees of racist abuse. Racism is the discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. The TUC has highlighted that 2 out of 5 Black workers experienced racism in the workplace last year but 4 in 5 did not report it.  Conference Cymru recognises the challenges faced with tackling unconscious bias and micro aggressions in addition to both overt and covert racism in the workplace.

Conference Cymru believes that all forms of racism are abhorrent and that we must do more to support our members and students to feel safe and supported to challenge and call out this behaviour and to feel valued and listened to in the workplace.

Conference Cymru instructs NEU Cymru via the Executive to:

1. Create a NEU Black Educators' Network for members across Wales, working collaboratively with the NEU Black educators Executive Member.

2. Work collaboratively across all education sectors and with education trade unions and the NEU Black educators' network, OF members and the Black Educators Executive member to create a programme of training for union members, schools and colleges which challenges racism and promotes positive change.

3. Survey members to investigate the levels of racism in the workplace.

4. Promote the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racism Plan, in addition to the NEU Anti-Racism Charter and sign post it during school representatives training.

5. Campaign for a duty of care to prevent racism in the workplace and to build solidarity amongst all members.