GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

I put it that is part of our education programme that we must be more proactive

in the upskilling of our members and our activists and help them to challenge

ideas and actions which have shocking consequences in our communities.

That is why Voice is asking the Executive of the GFTU to develop a toolkit to

support affiliates to do this. Conference, the motion is in the interest of all

unions and of all of our members and of our society. It is necessary and it is

achievable. I move this motion on behalf of Voice. (Applause)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Can I have a seconder for that motion, please.

SIS JACQUELINE THOMAS (Community): Conference, Jacqueline Thomas,

Community delegate, seconding the motion from Voice on disability hate crime.

Please bear with me, but I have lost my voice this week, so I will try and be as

quick as I can. Delegates, let’s start with the basics. Hate crimes of any sort

do not belong in our society, yet last year alone 5,342 disability hate crimes

were recorded across the UK. That is up 33% on the previous year. It is hard

for me and I am sure for all of you out there to understand what drives one

person to be targeted just because they are perceived to be different. But that

is what some people do and it is on the rise. We know that hate crime does not

start with abuse on the street or disabled people being attacked on their

doorsteps, it starts with ideas, the spreading of prejudice in our classrooms,

online and in our work places. With the spread of prejudice and hate crimes on

the rise, not enough people know what to do or how to challenge these bigots

and bullies, which is why we must ask how can we tackle them. How do you

tackle someone who is prejudiced against a disabled person? What do you do

to change their minds and their perception of a disabled person? We need to

give activists in the trade unions the skills to know how to call it out, how to

challenge it and how to turn the tide on this growing prejudice. That is how we

take on hate crime, it is how we challenge the attitudes in the long term and

that is just one step that we can do.

Crucially, we need to share best practice across all of our movement, across all

the unions. We need to be leading the way and tackling this hatred and

prejudice and we need to do that by working together. So to play a part in

making disabled people feel safe on our streets and to give our trade unionists

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