UNISON’S conference agreed today that it was time to provide a real platform to carry forward the union’s anti-racist work.

The move comes as Unison reaches the halfway point in its Year of Black Workers.

Moving the motion, Jason Pierre, from Coventry and Warwickshire combined health said: “The year of black workers is about establishing a legacy so we can better understand the needs of black workers.”

Lola Oweyusi from London said: “This is about providing a platform for black members who follow us in the union.”

Welcoming the motion on behalf of the NEC, Manjula Kumari set a challenge to the conference to “go back and speak to black members in your branches and tell them how union activity is for them.

“Then bring them to our conference next year and do the same the following year.”

In an earlier debate the conference demanded more action to deal with the ethnicity pay gap in public services.

Abi Clarkson, on behalf of Cambridgeshire County branch, told the conference that the pay gap “is a major cause of in-work poverty.”

Ms Clarkson said it was “time to demand employers take action.”

Hugo Pierre gave full backing from the NEC for the introduction of ethnic pay gap reporting.

Mr Pierre said: “Black workers are still experiencing discrimination, bullying and harassment with fewer opportunities for promotion which all impacts on pay.”

He added: “We must tackle all of these issues now and we don’t have to wait for a change of government.

“We should be negotiating with employers to get ethnic pay gap reporting introduced.”