Discrimination against disabled workers continues, and RMT is organising to oppose it
Disability Confident Scheme
Conference acknowledges the principles of the UK Government’s Disability Confident Employer Scheme, to support and recognise businesses that are actively inclusive in their recruitment and retention practices. The scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.
TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee strongly opposes the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The Bill includes new duties which oblige public services to share service users’ information with the police, which is an unacceptable shift away from a public health approach to an authoritarian approach, which will erode trust between public services and disabled people.
- report by Janine Booth, RMT nominee on the Committee
Flexible working and reasonable adjustments
The TUC has been advocating what it calls ‘flexible working as a reasonable adjustment’ for disabled workers. What it means by this is the right of disabled workers to work from home or another location, with hours that suit our access needs.
This was the first full meeting of the committee elected in March. It elected Dave Allan as chair (a formality as he is the disabled workers’ representative on the TUC General Council); and Annie Galpin as co-chair.
Implementing Disabled Workers’ Conference decisions
TUC staff presented proposals for carrying out the policies passed by this year’s Disabled Workers’ Conference. As this took place seven months ago, they had started some of the work already. This includes:
The TUC's Disabled Members' Committee has made this statement:
Accessible public transport is essential for disabled people to participate in society on an equal and independent basis. To be genuinely accessible, public transport must be adequately staffed by workers with decent standards of training, pay, conditions and security of employment.
15th December 2021
TO: THE SECRETARY
ALL BRANCHES AND REGIONAL COUNCILS
Dear Colleague,
RMT NATIONAL DISABLED MEMBERS’ CONFERENCE – 8-9 APRIL 2022
I am pleased to inform you that, Covid restrictions permitting, the 2022 National Disabled Members’ Conference will take place in Manchester on Friday 8 April (commencing at 2pm) and Saturday 9 April (concluding by 4pm). The venue is the Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD.
TfL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Trade Union Engagement Forum, 9 June 2021
Report from Janine Booth (RMT)
After a long break, the Forum met on Teams on 9 June 2021. Janine Booth and Glen Hart attended on behalf of RMT. ASLEF, TSSA and Unite were also present, but other TfL unions were not. This forum is separate from the collective bargaining machinery, but more sharing of information between them would be helpful.
RMT's London Transport region welcomes the news that the Home Office has rescinded the order to deport young, black, autistic man Osime Brown following his conviction under the unfair and racist 'joint enterprise' law.
It is important for trade unions to recognise and challenge injustice outside the workplace as well as in it. So when the union's disabled activists raised Osime's campaign, we agreed a resolution backing Osime and sent it to our National Executive.
7th June 2021
Dear Colleague,
OSIME BROWN: DEMONSTRATION 12 JUNE 2021
The union is supporting the campaign to stop the deportation of Osime Brown, a 21-year-old, black, autistic, learning-disabled man imprisoned on a 'joint enterprise' conviction for being present when a mobile phone was stolen.
RMT Disabled Members have issued the attached graphics, each of which quotes RMT policy on mental health. They emphasis that working conditions can be damaging to mental health, and that for better mental health, we need more than 'awareness' - we need to remove and reduce distress.
You can view and share these graphics online. And you can print them and display and distribute them at work.