There must be “no going back to normal” for disabled workers
This will include campaigning for disabled members to have the right to work at home with reasonable adjustments if that is what they want.
UNISON’s Special Virtual Conference delegates overwhelmingly backed a motion from NDMC that recognised “the Covid 19 pandemic has revealed the structural inequality disabled people face but has also created a once in a lifetime opportunity to confront discrimination and inequality and to rebuild society and our workplaces in a way that allows the talent and potential of disabled workers to flourish.”
Urging conference to seize this opportunity, Scotland’s Kathleen Kennedy, NDMC delegate, pointed out that for years our disabled members have been told they can’t work from home as they could not be provided with reasonable adjustments.
“Along comes COVID and suddenly we are sent home to work but for 53% that was without reasonable adjustments. Which begs the question, why was it that? If we need them at work we need them at home to work -don’t we?” asked Kathleen.
She pointed to UNISON’s excellent guide to homeworking and the model policy which will be again publicised to branches.
“We also want the NEC to help us to lobby government to extend Access to Work support and to include more focus on mental health,” she said.
Kathleen also referenced long COVID as a growing problem for some of our members who are being put on capability due to their sickness absence.
“We want employers to discount sickness absence triggers due to COVID and recognise ‘long COVID’ as an occupational disease, with compassion for front line workers affected.
“But there is lots more branches can do,” said Kathleen, calling on branches to download UNISON’s excellent Reasonable Adjustments bargaining guide, Accessibility Passport, the disability leave bargaining guide and the two recently produced stewards’ guides on representing disabled and deaf workers.
“Finally, we think it’s vital that employers should have to report on their disability pay gap and we want to work with the NEC to lobby government on this. It’s time to smash the disability pay gap once and for all.
“Conference, “normal” for disabled workers means being refused reasonable adjustments and paid less than non-disabled people. We don’t want to go back to normal. We want a new deal for disabled workers.”
(Story: Kate Ramsden)