Cutting away at equality

I blogged earlier elsewhere about cuts locally, which the trade unions are resisting.

After some struggling to get an Equality Impact Assessment from the employer we have found that their proposals - as they stand - would disproportionately threaten black workers with redundancy. Though the managers are in denial about this, the duty of the local authority under section 71 of the Race Relations Act does mean that we can at least try to make them face up to this before they proceed.

We all need to be alive to how public spending cuts hit hardest at those already disadvantaged. The generally disproportionate impact upon women is well-established, and the attack on DLA has an obvious discriminatory effect.

I'm grateful to the colleague who told me to read UNISON's advice to branches on enforcing equality duties and recommend that to readers. Fighting for equality is always important - but when this Government of the rich by the rich for the rich is taking away as much as it can from those who have least, it is more important than ever.