Blog: Why we will always stand with the Windrush generation

On 22 June the UK will celebrate Windrush Day, marking the moment when the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks. This historic moment has come to stand for the huge contribution that post-war immigrants made to the UK. It has always had a special meaning for UNISON as a union. Workers from the Commonwealth not only helped build public services, they fought back against racism and, as they did so, they transformed our trade union movement too. It’s one of the reasons why equality and a public service ethos that serves all communities is at the heart of everything UNISON does. They are a part of the history of our union. Windrush Day should be a day of celebration. Instead, the Windrush generation are still fighting for justice. What happened to those caught up in the Windrush scandal was an outrage. Demeaning letters were sent out from the Home Office telling people who’d lived in the UK all their adult lives to leave. It was shabby, shameful treatment from a country that had taken the best years of their lives and relies on the public services they helped build. They were entitled to gratitude and a peaceful life. Instead, many lost their homes, families, health and even their lives. The head of the Independent Review, Wendy Williams, identified “a culture of disbelief and carelessness….made worse by the status of the Windrush generation, who were failed when they needed help most”. The compensation scheme should have been a way of delivering justice, making re...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: General secretary's blog Christina McAnea Windrush Source Type: news