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Unions are targeting equality issues to recruit more women and minorities, according to the TUC Equality Audit.

The audit reveals unions are targeting recruitment campaigns at women, young people and minorities, like blacks, the disabled and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers.

Just under half of all recruitment activity was aimed at the young.

The TUC explained that so many resources were diverted to the young as 20 per cent are unemployed with bleak job prospects – and importance was given to supporting them to find work.

The next main recruitment target was women, linked to high-profile campaigns like the shop worker union USDAW’s lobbying for more support for working parents and careers and acting union Equity’s fight against discrimination against older women performers.

Most unions reported having an executive officer solely dealing with equality issues, while 25 per cent of unions have separate officers to represent the young, woman, black and disabled members.

Around 40 per cent of unions have equality reps at branches.

Thousands of workers have received equality training to offer more family friendly working practices, says the audit.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Young people were the hardest hit by the recession and female unemployment is at a 23-year high, so it’s important that unions support them both in finding work and preventing future job losses.

“It’s encouraging that unions are stepping up their recruitment efforts among minority groups, as they are often the most vulnerable to workplace exploitation and job losses.

“But unions are not just about protecting people’s jobs, important though that is, and it’s great to see the growing army of equality reps making a positive difference to workplaces.

“If the government is seriously committed to making workplaces more family-friendly, ministers should give statutory recognition to reps who are leading the way in helping workers across the country access flexible working.”

The audit included responses from 48 of the TUC’s 55 affiliated unions, representing 97 per cent of the UK’s 6.5 million union members.

This article is filed under : , Diversity, Legal, Leadership, Minorities, Equality Act 2010, equality strands, Protected charactersitcs, Role models

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Do you want more than what Equality Training or Diversity Training Courses can deliver? See Diversity at Work in the workplace http://www.diversityleaders.org/our-services/training-a-events

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Leadership Voice Magazine     Key topics : Leadership, Discrimination, Diversity