Linda Bellos OBE, Director of Diversity Solutions Consultancy Ltd is featured in yesterdays Guardians letter page on the subject comments made by minister John Denham. Linda wrote:

‘What new debate on race, John Denham (Report, 15 January)? Those of us working for equality for all have long argued that it is impossible to consider race without class, or gender and disability for that matter. To view “race” only in terms of skin colour, as many officials seem to do, is to misunderstand the law. Section 3 of the Race Relations Act 1976 defines racial grounds as colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origin. Race is not defined. It is taken as a given, as though a group of people has common biological characteristics which distinguishes them from another group, and which is different from their colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin….’

To read the full letter on the Guardians website, please click here

University of Sussex and their Students Union hosted a series of events celebrating the culture, history and achievements of black and ethnic minority communities.  Events included film screenings, lectures, a book club and a number of high profile external speakers.

Headlining the event was our very own Linda Bellos. You can hear her speaking via this link

To view the original article on the University of Sussex website please click here

18 November 2009

This bill is being carried over from the last session and is now due for its report stage. The bill will harmonise and in some cases extend existing discrimination law covering the “protected characteristics” of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Discrimination protection will be extended to membership and benefits for private clubs and associations, for example.

The bill also includes provision to create a public sector duty to promote equality in public policy and decision-making, and will require employers to review gender pay differences within their organisations and publish the results.

Source: The Guardian

[Click here to read the full article on the Guardian website]

12 November 2009

• Gap between men and women’s pay narrowest on record
• Private sector pay falling even further behind public sector pay

The pay gap between men and women in full-time work has shrunk to its narrowest on record, official data showed yesterday, but the gap between private and public-sector workers has grown to a record high.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said men working full-time this year earn a median hourly rate of £12.97, compared with £11.39 for women. That gives a gap of 12.2% compared with 12.6% last year. The new figure is the lowest on record and has fallen from about 17% a decade ago. The narrowing has been caused by female hourly earnings rising faster than those of men.

Source: The Guardian

[Click here to read the full article on the Guardian website]

10 November 2009

The Commission today sets out its plan to preserve the rights in the Human Rights Act and to protect and promote respect for human rights principles.

One of the core principles in the Commission’s three-year strategy is for any future legislative developments, such as a proposed Bill of Rights, to have the rights and remedies of the Human Rights Act at their heart, so that the protection it provides is retained.

Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission

[read more on the EHRC website]

7 November 2009

Disabled people face increasing financial and discriminatory pressures, yet many report that life has got better

Despite nearly 15 years of new legislation, the results of a new survey reveal that disabled people in the UK are facing rising levels of poverty and discrimination. Yet many disabled people believe things are getting better. What explains the contradiction?

Disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as non-disabled people. Leonard Cheshire Disability’s report Disability Review 2009, published this week, shows that the economic picture for disabled people has deteriorated over the past three years. Almost half (42%) of respondents were struggling to live on their present income, a rise of nearly 10% since 2007. Discrimination at work had been experienced by 52%, another 10% increase, and 9% stated they had been the victim of hate crime.

Source: The Guardian

[Click here to read the full article on the Guardian website]

Review captures the challenges facing transgender people in Britain

21 October 2009

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has today launched a new review of evidence that captures the experiences and challenges facing transgender people in Britain.

The Trans Research Review highlights that some transgender people experience transphobia including bullying and discriminatory treatment in schools, harassment and physical/sexual assault and rejection from families, work colleagues and friends.

Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission

[click here to read the full article on the EHRC website]

Commission welcomes equal pay victory for women at work

20 October 2009

Women in some jobs who have time off to raise children received a significant boost today after a landmark case in the Court of Appeal in which the Equality and Human Rights Commission intervened.

Mrs Christine Wilson, an Inspector with the Health and Safety Executive, brought the case against her employer, claiming that its pay agreement with employees linking pay to length of service for up to ten years was unfair.

The Health and Safety Executive’s agreement with its employees meant that three male colleagues on the same level as Mrs Wilson were paid more than her for doing equivalent work.

Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission

[click here to read the full article on the EHRC website]

New guidance on flexible working launched

16 October 2009

The Commission has today (16 October) launched new flexible working guidance aimed at improving employee productivity, lowering business costs and meeting the needs of modern families.

Working Better: The managers’ guide to flexible working was launched by Commission Chair Trevor Phillips at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting.

Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission

[click here to read the full article on the EHRC website]

For whom the Bellos tolls

Long-time campaigner Linda Bellos takes on the Guardian’s political columnist Jackie Ashley today, over Ashley’s view that the equalities quango should be axed…

http://operationblackvote.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/for-whom-the-bellos-tolls/

Human Rights Inquiry

An overwhelming majority of the British people support legislation protecting their human rights and where a human rights approach is incorporated into public services both users and providers benefit, the Human Rights Inquiry has found…

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/fairer-britain/human-rights/human-rights-inquiry/

Inquiry Report

The Inquiry is the most comprehensive research to date into the Human Rights Act’s first ten years. It brings together evidence from almost 3,000 individuals and organisations including service providers, service users and advocacy groups, inspectorates, academics and legal experts politicians, the media and Government Ministers…

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/fairer-britain/human-rights/human-rights-inquiry/inquiry-report/

[Read more →]