TUDA News
MARCH
2007
Third union signs up
to TUDAıs Trade Union Charter
The University and
College Union (UCU) has recently signed up to the TUDA Trade Union Charter for
Disability Equality and work has now begun on its implementation in
consultation with the unionıs equality committee and disabled members.
The University and
College Union represents further and higher education lecturers, managers,
researchers and many academic-related staff such as librarians, administrators
and computing professionals across the UK. The union was formed by the amalgamation of the Association of
University Teachers and NATFHE - The University & College Lecturers' Union
on 1 June 2006 and now has approximately 120,000 members
Caroline Gooding, TUDAıs
Co Chair said: ³This is great – very positive news and an encouraging
sign that the newly merged union will aim to give their disabled members the
best possible service and enable the fullest participation. Letıs hope when
AMICUS and TGWU merge they will do the same. ³
UCU is the third union
to sign up (after BECTU and PCS). We need TUDA activists in other unions to
push for them to sign up too.
Inside this issue
Page 1 TUDA
Charter
Page 2 Access
denied
Pages 3 – 8 TUC
Disability Committee reports
Page 8 9 Liberty
Festival & Disability Equality Duty
Page 10 How
to join TUDA
Our website www.tuda.org.uk
also has lots of news and information
TO CONTACT TUDA
Secretary Alan Martin, Membership Secretary Sherrell Martin and Co-Chairs
Ju Gosling & Caroline Gooding can be contacted via our box number, BM TUDA,
London WC1N 3XX. Email: mail@tuda.org.uk
The newsletter editor, Richard Cook is at 141 Vale Road,
Northfleet, Kent DA11 8BX or at findcook@hotmail.com.
Please tell us of any issues you feel we should cover. We
encourage people to submit both information and articles for inclusion, so get
writing if you can.
Just
a thought from the TUDA newsletter editor
In
an attempt to try to save TUDA money and speed up the provision of information,
if you have e-mail (and we understand not everyone does), would any TUDA
members like to have all future newsletters via e-mail? Please let us know!
E-mail your editor Richard Cook on findcook@hotmail.com
Thanks
to those who signed up after the last newsletter.
NB: Views expressed in this
Newsletter are not necessarily those of all the trade unions represented on our
Executive but reflect the opinion and policies of most of them.
Access
denied?
On 1st October, 2006, Civil Servants
working in 12 central Government Departments were due to have their rights to
claim financial support from the JobCentrePlus Access to Work scheme
unilaterally removed. In the event it was 11, with the Department of
Constitutional Affairs granted a stay of executionı until 1st April
this year.
At a time when the Department of Work and
Pensions and the Disability Rights Commission were encouraging public sector
bodies to get it right on involvement of disabled people in the preparation of
Disability Equality Schemes, it was particularly notable that no disabled Civil
Servants or their unions were involved in discussions on this fundamental
change to adjustment funding. The Council of Civil Service Unions expressed
significant concerns about the change – not least because many of the
more expensive Access to Work commitments, such as funding home to workplace
travel and personal care at work, have already been ruled by Tribunals to fall
outside the scope of the reasonable adjustment duty placed on employers by the
DDA.
Having registered their protest at the move,
CCSUıs attention has now shifted towards trying to prevent any further areas of
the public services being treated in the same way. The key focus is on an evaluation of the impact of the
changes already made – and CCSU has secured agreement from DWP that this
evaluation will include qualitative surveying – actually talking to
people who might have been adversely affected by the withdrawal of Access to
Work funds. The difficulties are
not to be underestimated, however: identifying staff or potential staff who
have not been given all that they might have got under A2W will not be
easy. But through alliances with
organisations such as TUDA and charities representing those most likely to face
restrictions on adjustments, CCSU hopes that the evidence will be forthcoming.
TUC
Disability Committee
Richard
Cook reporting from the Disability Committee meeting held on Thursday 18 January
2007 at 11am in Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
Minutes of the meeting of 12 October 2006 for
accuracy
I said that Amicus represents members in the
Commission for Racial Equality and we would hope that the TUC would involve our
national officer. Sara Veale said that until recently we have had very good
discussions with all CRE reps.
Co-option to the Committee (oral report) We have
been told of a nomination but nothing received as yet. The committee decided to
agree this person could attend the next meeting.
TUC disability conference DC
2/1
Speakers: I thought both must be
high profile, perhaps a politician and disability campaigner. Bert Massie &
Trevor Phillips or Jane Campbell & Margaret Prosser were suggested by
delegates. I thought that was a very good suggestion. They will be contacted.
The
time not used discussing motions. As a result of us asking and attempting to
prevent the problems experienced over recent years, we will reduce speakers to
only three. We will also reduce the time for the chairıs report; reduce the
time taken by the general secretary; and everything will be much more focused.
We discussed this yearıs conference extensively. Peter explained we would have
to decide certain things at the next meeting.
Other
speakers Peter
suggested that Richard Reiser who is on our committee could speak on the new UN
Convention on the rights of disabled people. The future of supported employment
could probably be Phil Davis as speaker. Vanessa Macolgan could talk about the discrimination law
review - she is a very good speaker, a political person who also knows about
disability. These people will all be approached.
Social: I said there should be
a conference social and trade union solicitorsı firms should be approached for
sponsorship by the TUC office, if this is not possible then the cost of the
social should be reflected in the delegation fee.
I
am not in agreement with lay members of the TUC disability committee being
tasked with raising funds from affiliates.
Sara
Veale said we canıt charge because it is free. We voted and I was the only
person who voted to have a social, to every one elseıs amusement, but I can
live with that.
Disability
Equality Duty DC
2/2
Every public sector body
should already have a Disability Equality Duty, not be thinking about it, as it
became law on 4 December. Importantly it must also be done with collaboration
with disabled people.
We agreed to do a short
and simple survey for the 2007 conference. I said it would be helpful if a
briefing on best practice with regards to the disability equality duty were
prepared as an outcome of the survey, because I am on Kent County Council and
my local Gravesend DED and need the best advice possible. Peter said advice was
published at conference last May.
Central
Government/ATW update DC
2/3
Stating latest news and
what stance to take. They are conducting a qualitative analysis over the next
3-6 months. It is true there are no plans now to extend this to the rest of the
public sector. It is not true that there is no intention that this will happen,
because it will in fact happen once they have had their evaluation. So it will
not go away, potentially a threat to disabled civil service workers in the
public sector. We are shaping up to get quite a comprehensive survey into the
effect of this change.
ODI
DC
2/4
This committee had all
been invited but some had not been able to take part in the meeting. The
meeting place used, no expense was spared and it was a beautiful venue. But
delegates left feeling disappointed. Independent living was mentioned quite a
lot and was a key issue.
DRC
response on Reasonable Adjustments DC 2/5
Two letters from the Disability
Rights Commission (DRC) in response to a letter from the TUC following motions
at our conference. They had offered to meet with us to improve the advice on our
website and elsewhere.
UN Disability Convention DC
26
Richard
Reiser has written an account and explanation of the new UN convention. The
government is going to sign and ratify this convention. The TUC thinks it is
80-90% of what we asked for. A remarkable achievement.
DRC
training on the DDA DC
2/7
Peter asked unions if
they wanted to send their officers to get trained on the DDA. He had a response
back from quite a few unions, which amounted to about 5-600 officials. The DRC
offered a one-day session for maximum of only 40 places on 20 April. So the TUC
have set this up in Congress House.
I said: Amicus have
already registered an interest in our regional equality officers attending this
training and would welcome further information from the TUC about the
arrangements. These are unions must sort out who will benefit most and this is
definitely the last chance saloon. We must send Peter a priority list. But
unfortunately with only 40 places rationing will have to take place,
Doing
Work Differently DC
2/8
Radar
came to the TUC to ask for our support for a project devised to give practical
advise to employers and disabled people on reasonable adjustments in the
workplace and the TUC had a meeting and thought it was a very good thing. This
means that we are going in as partner. Some members felt that this
committee should have been
consulted before this commitment was made. This was why the committee decided
not to work with the employerıs forum last year. Peter said the TUC had
committed money to this already. As a result - and this is entirely my own view
- I
said I strongly disagree with the opposition for one simple reason: will this
mean that we would not do any work on this particular subject if we do not get
involved with Radar? If we donıt then I think we are not serving disabled
people in the way that we should. That worries me considerably. The TUC should
work with other organisations just to see where it goes sometimes.
This will come back next time
when a decision on collaboration will have to be made.
TUC
equality structures DC
1/5
We
spoke extensively about the structures.
Sara
said General Council is quite happy for there to be two motions each at the TUC
disability conference. We need to decide this at least by the next meeting. It
is absolutely in your hands if it is your wish to have two motions?
Next meeting 10 March.
Commission for Equality and Human Rights – discussion
with Kay Carberry, Assistant General Secretary, TUC
Kay said she was appointed at the end of 2006. I am a sort of
Trade Union person on the new Commission. This was after a couple of years
where we spent a lot of energy and years lobbying for there to be more than
just one trade union person from the TUC. I am there as someone with a trade
union label although Jeanie Drake from the CWU is a transitional commissioner.
The deputy chair is Margaret Prosser. So we are not doing particularly well,
but we are also not doing too badly either. It is also very early days. The
first commission meeting took place just before Christmas. It is not going to
be properly open for business until 1 October 2007. The period now is a busy
one with a lot of activity that does not involve the commissioners. But they
are deciding what the first yearıs workload is going to be. The Disability
Rights Commission will obviously go out of existence.ı
I asked a question: I said my understanding was that there was
still going to be differences between the rules of the different groups. But I
then heard that every group would be treated with exactly the same rules. Is
that still the case? Answer: The law review will decide to have a single equality
act of some sort. Donıt be afraid
it will be the lowest common denominator. That is just not going to
happen. What will instead happen
will be levelling up.
Minutes of previous meeting were accepted as true record.
Matters arising from the minutes DC
2. 18 Jan 07
I raised Item 3 Flash photography. Answer: An expert professor
will give a proper opinion on the whole issue. So effectively he will be
arbitrating with those unions involved.
Radar item 23. Amicus thinks it is foolish to say you want
nothing to do with organisations who are for disabled people but not of
disabled people. It is a brilliant ideal, but at the moment the idea of just
dealing with disabled peopleıs organisations is not realistic. For instance, it
could mean not doing any research into certain subjects because of lack of
funding - I think disabled people would be losing out by the fact it was never
even done. Also, if the TUC endorses a policy, people may say, well the TUC
would say that wouldnıt they. But if another organisation also endorses the
same policy well that gives it so much more credence.
I think we should never have stopped working with the Disability
Employment Coalition, because it just seemed to demonstrate poor judgement by
us.
We should implicitly trust what the TUC does so much more.
TUC Disability Conference 2007 DC
3/1
The speakers for Welfare reform, Ilene McColgan and Phil Davis
have all said yes, but nothing from Richard Reiser yet.
We
looked at all motions one by one and they were all on a relevant topic and
addressed one subject, It was decided that we accept all motions.
The
nominations: Section A 14 wanted. 14 received. Section B one nomination.
Section C one nomination so no ballot will be needed for any of them. Section D
we have had two nominations and a ballot will be needed.
Motions for TUC Disability Conference 2008 DC
3/2
Union survey on
implementation of DED DC
3/3
The plan is to ask 7 questions. This would form a short
survey with just yes or no answers. I said; because I sit on bodies that try to
sort out the DED for Kent County Council and locally for Gravesend, I wonder
how many people are like me? Part of my job is trying to decide what I should
be asking for. So could we ask a question such as what do you consider the
most important achievement so far?ı as this would be useful to me?
Liz Smith, Director of Unionlearn, attended at at
1.30pm.
Liz
said: I would like to find out the things you feel are important. Unionlearn
was established last year putting together what the TUC and unions are doing
and taking this up the agenda. It wants to promote union growth, and equality.
We think having union involvement is vital, and puts all this on the map. We
have clear equality objectives with action plans. Amicus has a clear objective
with disability champions. There are now 506 champions at the last count.
Reading the figures there are 43% disabled people, 86 employers, 38 % completed
the training, 40% are women, 38% pubic sector and a large proportion are non
white and from 24 unions. Small but significant showing what reps can do. In
the Northwest region talking about mental health issues at work and dyslexia.
All this can be downloaded from our website. Training for disability champions
was talked about some more, which led to a comment I thought I would make. This
was; your answer was not my understanding and it might be something you might
want to take on board. If you wanted disability champion training, if you could
get 15 people and got in touch with the person doing the training they could
probably do that in a place suitable to you. Liz agreed with that. So I said
would it not be a good idea to tell people this making access to the training
much clearer.
DRC
training for officials DC
¾
Excellent
:another 140 places for union officials. We must send another priority list we
must tell Peter we want some of this further training.
Reasonable adjustments and Access to work DC
3/5
Peter would be delighted if unions could supply any evidence because
nothing has been received so far despite already asking for information. Just
half a dozen examples are all that are needed. Do Amicus have any?
ODI consultation DC
3/6
We are being told they are looking at
ways to measure improvements, because their aim is to show this by 2025 and we
must welcome this. Amicus should respond. I said: We should encourage unions to
encourage individual members to respond as this has been asked for. We could
list the headings suggested. But DC 3/6 is excellent because it really says it
all.
Interpreting services-new policy DC
3/7
I found this interesting and
sensible. Sara said: It is TUC policy to provide BSL signers whether people
have asked for it or not. It costs an absolute fortune. We are told by UNISON
that using precious BSL resources when they are not needed is wrong because we
are depriving other people from having those valuable signers. So the TUC are
asking that unless someone has asked for this it would not be provided. But it
is not really about the money; it is that we are depriving others who want to
have the service. I said; no one has said yet that if we adopt this new policy
it is up to us to explain to people how important it is to make sure it is
understood that unless it is asked for it will not be provided and explain that
this is a new policy.
This was voted on and unanimously accepted and it is now a new TUC
policy.
Other business None
Date of next meeting: 26 April 2007.
Liberty is the UKıs largest disability rights festival,
with street arts, theatre, music and dance that is aimed at everyone. This
one-day event in Trafalgar Square showcases the talents of disabled artists,
musicians, dancers and performers. There are also a variety of stalls and
displays. Admission is free. Liberty welcomes everyone and on the day of the
event a range of facilities and services is available at Trafalgar Square to
ensure the event is inclusive and accessible to all.
Liberty is organised by the Mayor of London working
together with Deaf and disabled Londoners. Groups contributing to the
development of the event include: Attitude is Everything, Shape, People First,
Creative Routes, Greater London Deaf Association, Glad, Regard and London
Disability Arts Forum. TUDA hopes to have a stall there too. For further
details email: liberty@london.gov.uk
Recorded information 020 7983 4277. Enquiries 020 7983 4100
The TUC is asking unions
organising in the public sector to circulate the attached short questionnaire
urgently through all appropriate channels, to establish (a) whether public
bodies have in place a Disability Equality Scheme, (b) whether disabled people
and unions were involved in its preparation. The information gathered will be
collated into a report for the TUC Disability Conference in May, so the deadline for responses is 11 May 2007.
As you know, unions
believe that the Disability Equality Duty has immense potential to transform
the lives of disabled people. This survey will provide a snapshot of how well
public bodies have responded in the first months of it being in force.
Your
assistance in encouraging a good response from across the union will be much
appreciated. We are happy to have responses from any relevant level (branch,
region, sector, national).
The Survey
will also be distributed in TUC Mail for April.
Please send
any responses to me in the first instance so I can collate them.
David
I
wish to receive more Information about TUDA: -
Please send post to: Alan Martin at BM TUDA, London WC1N 3XX