EHRC cuts and the TUC Black workers conference

Trevor Philips addressed a volatile TUC Black Workers Conference this weekend. Held annually the event is a chance for trade unionists to gather together to address issues of concern to black workers.

As you would expect coming so soon after the historic TUC March the mood was both confident and determined. Speaker after speaker reported the massive scale of disproportionality in the implementation of spending cuts right across the country. The highlight was however, Trevor's speech to conference.

Interesting times at the EHRC of late and Phillips attendance attracted much ire from the assembled delegates particularly those for the PCS. In a fractious debate Mr. Phillips accused the PCS Union of “ lying” about the scale of the cuts at EHRC headquarters.

In response Zita Holbourne PCS member and Co Chair of BARAC challenged Trevor and produced a ream of statistics to back the Union's assessment of the proposed cuts.

She stated “ I was able to set the record straight in a debate on a motion immediately after his (Trevors) speech and refer delegates to the PCS website where they could read the facts themselves but by that time Mr Phillips had made a hasty retreat from the conference.

Mr Phillip’s speech for me was stale, uninspiring, and complacent and gave me neither faith nor hope for the future of the EHRC under his leadership. He is resigned to cuts and demonstrated no concern for his own staff losing jobs not to mention the areas of work which will cease to exist. “

The question of where each individual EHRC Commissioner stands in relation to the cuts , their view on the governments approach to reducing inequality and discrimination will now be brought into focus and open public debate.

Trevor summed up his the approach of the EHRC as being “…our aim for the next five years is making sure that people do the right thing when we're not in the room".

The pragmatic reality, as demonstrated by the huge levels of race and gender disproportionality in this current round of cuts, is that black people and women are rarely in the room and increasingly are off the priority concern agenda.

Lee Jasper, Co-Chair BARAC

Picture: Zita Holbourne