Cuts, strikes and sackings?

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), an independent body in 2006 to enforce and promote equality and non-discrimination laws, plays a vital role in ensuring that women, people with disabilities, LGBT people and ethnic and religious minorities are treated with justice and respect.

Their work is now more important than ever before, as, for example, hate crimes and workplace discrimination are both on the rise.

But the organisation is facing what Unite national officer for equalities Siobhan Endean has called “death by a thousand cuts”.

Over the next four years, these cuts will amount to a full 25 per cent of the EHRC’s budget, which Unite argues will render the organisation powerless – its budget has already been cut by 70 per cent since 2008.

The organisation has also undergone a restructuring exercise that Unite and public services trade union PCS have said has been totally mismanaged, precipitating compulsory redundancies that the unions say are unnecessary.

In fact, the EHRC — which among its many responsibilities, is tasked with promoting diverse workplaces — plans to make redundant 14 staff, 11 of whom are black and ethnic minority and half of whom are disabled.

It was these issues that have prompted both Unite and PCS to take ongoing strike action since November, with the latest strike day happening this week (January 18).

Endean called on the chair of the EHRC to “stand up for the organisation and defend it against the government dismantling of our commission.”

Among those facing redundancy are two Unite reps, Angela and Zahid, both of whom have been working at the EHRC for years.

Dedicated

Endean said they were “dedicated, hardworking specialists in the fields of equality and human rights, and also senior trade union reps who have worked hard to support workers at the EHRC through this latest slash and burn reorganisation.”

She added that these redundancies made little sense.

“There are currently 40 vacancies in the EHRC following the reorganisation,” she said. “It is frankly incredible that Zahid and Angela have not yet secured new jobs based on their vast skills, knowledge and experience in the specialist field of human rights and public affairs. Instead, they are being threatened with compulsory redundancy.”

“Freedom of association is a human right,” Endean added. “As such the right to participate and become active as a union rep as Angela and Zahid have done should be valued and supported by the EHRC.”

In addition to taking industrial action to stop the cuts that are now ravaging the EHRC, Unite is carrying out a campaign to help save Angela and Zahid’s jobs and the jobs of others facing compulsory redundancy.

You can help by writing a letter to both the EHRC chief executive and chair asking them to reverse these unnecessary redundancies now. Find out more here.