PRIDE IN SCOTLAND

The Scottish TUC LGBT+ conference met for the sixth time at in Dalmuir near Clydebank with all the major unions meeting to discuss and propose motions on LGBT+ matters. Motions were passed on equal civil partnerships for Scotland to include mixed sex couples, Brexit the charter of fundamental rights and the “Great repeal” bill where there is risk that the Tories may leave the European Convention on Human Rights seeking to introduce an inferior British Bill of rights. Other issues included facility time for trade union equality representatives seeking to have the same time for facilitation as other reps such health and safety representatives to build on equality in the workplace as well as hate crime in the workplace. Speakers to the conference included Jordan Daly from the Time for Inclusive Education campaign combatting homophobia, biphobia and transphobi with inclusive education. Tim Hopkins from the Equality Network discussing aims for improving the Equality act, and Nicola Hay from Show Racism the Red Card who’s primary aim is to tackle racism in society. RMT proposed a motion on ScotRail to reverse Driver-Only Operation on the Network and the new powers gained by the Scottish government to allow for the public sector to bid for the ScotRail franchise similar to the Caledonian MacBrayne model calling for the bid to bring the franchise into the public sector by 2022, and condemning the EU’s fourth rail package. This motion was supported by ASLEF, Unite and disabled speakers passed unanimously. Emergency motions were passed on tackling violence against gay men in Chechnya where men have been murdered for being gay by authorities or returned to their families with the expectation that the families will dispose of themby honour killings for bringing shame on their families. Conference called for the immediate release of all men rounded up on suspicion of being gay, a campaign for the Scottish and UK governments to apply diplomatic pressure on the Russian government to stop these human rights abuses and offer asylum to LGBT+ people from Chechnya. Barry Weldon reports on the sixth Scottish TUC LGBT+ conference RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2017 :: RMTnews 22 R MT LGBT activists sent a strong message of condemnation to Chechnya for its persecution of gay people at their annual conference last month. The conference met in Aberystwyth to discuss key issues for RMT LGBT members at work and LGBT people around the world. Moving the unanimously backed motion, Finsbury Park delegate Jon Stack fought back the tears explaining how gay men were being put into concentration camps by the Chechen regime. “The president has been having a big anti-gay purge. “There has been strong evidence with people escaping Chechnya and telling their story. “There have been round ups of gay men and here have been reports of up to six concentration camps where people are being tortured with electric shocks, rapes and beatings. “The president has said: “There are no gays in our country”. “What the authorities do is when people are kept in the camps and call their family in. “They then say this will bring the utmost shame on your family to have a gay person within it. Either you take them away and kill them- otherwise we will.” He added that international solidarity was vital to ending the human rights abuses taking place there. “We call on the union to organise, support and mobilise for protests against what is happening in Chechnya, and to raise this issue as a matter of urgency with the International and European Transport Federations,” he said. Keeping in the theme of human rights, London delegate Paul Penny spoke out about LGBT asylum seekers facing difficulties in the UK. “Asylum seekers in the UK have been through a lot of trauma and persecution in their own countries. Then they are forced to go through a very arbitrary process – they are arrested and stay in detention which is traumatic. “For LGBT people in LGBT CONFERENCE PRIDE: LGBT+ Pride events are opportunities for us to promote the union and our campaigns as well as to show support and solidarity for our LGBT+ community. Confirmed dates of Pride Parades this year include: London July 8, Brighton August 5, Cardiff August 26. PRIDE IN SCOTLAND