Blog: George Floyd ’s murder, one year on

UNISON is supporting the TUC and Stand up to Racism’s call for action to mark the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, to challenge racism and continue the fight for racial justice in workplaces and in wider society. George’s murder galvanised people in the UK, the USA and across the world into taking action against racial injustice on a scale not seen before. The murder had a huge effect on people because it happened in real time – it lasted for over nine minutes and 39 seconds – it was recorded by a young teenage bystander who provided the world with this incontrovertible evidence to bear witness to this brutal and inhumane death of a Black man at the hands of the police in the USA. It touched the humanity and conscience of people of all ages, creeds, and races. It opened the eyes of the world to Black peoples’ experience of everyday racism. It was a year like no other and, as the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to give voice to the call for action on racial injustice. In the UK, the pandemic amplified the structural disparities and inequalities and in particular, disproportionate deaths from COVID-19 of Black workers and people in Black communities. COVID-19 has exposed the insecure jobs, poor and unsafe working conditions; and the concentration of Black workers in frontline, lower paid jobs unable to access PPE and sick pay. UNISON continues to play a leading role in highlighting the discrimination ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Blogs black members equalities Source Type: news