Throughout 2022, we saw renewed focus on the experience of disabled members in our union, in the workplace and in society.
We used the year to highlight the important contribution our disabled members make to the union, to improve terms and conditions for disabled workers and to campaign for improved rights for all disabled workers.
Yet, with the Year of Disabled Workers now over, it is vital that the level of activity from last year does not end as the union moves onto the next initiative. We need to ensure that activism amongst disabled members increases and that disabled members are visible at all levels in our union.
Katrina Murray on behalf of the NEC reminded delegates, “Last year was a big year for Disabled Members. A year of activity after many years of planning. A year where some parts of our union absolutely embraced the year but in a year of massive demands on our activists, pay campaigns, the cost of living crisis and not every branch or region was able to do as much as they might have wanted.
Conference – we had our year but the challenges that existed for disabled people in the workplace and in society in 2022 did not miraculously disappear as the bells rang us into 2023.
Katrina explored conference, “But as the attention of the wider union moves to focus on the Year of the Black Worker and then onto the Year of the LGBT+ worker – the reminder comes that this is not a one and done.
This motion calls for us all to take action, take that step back and to reflect but also to make sure that those motions that have been passed on the Year of the Disabled Worker are actually enacted.
Because the Year of Disabled Workers, the year of Black workers and the Year of LGBT+ workers needs to be EVERY year.”