Scottish Equalities Bulletin 2007 Issue No. 17

STUC – The Public Sector Equality Duties

Dear Colleague
The STUC are holding a conference on The Public Sector Equality Duties with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. The Conference is taking place on Wednesday 29 August 2007, from 9.30am to 3.30pm, with lunch provided. The venue is the STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow.

The event will:

  • Provide trade unionists with briefings on the Race, Disability and Gender Equality Duties by legal experts from the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission, and the Equal Opportunities Commission, as well as considering commonalities between the three Equality Duties.
  • Consider how trade union reps can organise around the Race, Disability and Gender Duties.
  • Present an overview of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) in Scotland, and the opportunity to engage with CEHR personnel.

A preliminary programme for the Conference is below.

The Conference is aimed at all trade unionists, whether full time officials, lay reps, shop stewards and ordinary union members. I hope that you are able to encourage attendance at this important conference from within your networks. Anyone wishing to attend this conference should contact Gillian McKay at the Dundee office for the necessary nomination form on 01382 226 268

Closing date for nomination to the conference is 30 July 2007.

The Equality Agenda for Scottish Trade Unions:

The Public Sector Equality Duties
and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights
Scottish Trades Union Congress
333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow

Wednesday 29 August 2007

Provisional Programme

9.30am Registration Tea / Coffee

10.00am Welcome:

Tricia McLaren, Chairperson STUC Women’s Committee

10.05am The Public Sector Equality Duties: common themes within the duties.

10.30am The Race Equality Duty

Jill Sutherland, Head of Legal Affairs, Commission for Racial Equality

11.00am The Disability Equality Duty

Lynn Welsh, Head of Scottish Legal Affairs, Disability Rights Commission

11.30am Coffee/tea

11.45am The Gender Equality Duty

Muriel Robison, Principal Legal Officer, Equal Opportunities Commission

12.15am Panel Discussion Session

Jill Sutherland, Lynn Welsh and Muriel Robison, Chaired by Tricia McLaren

12.45pm Lunch

1.30pm Introduction

Chairperson, Phil McGarry, STUC President (tbc)

1.40pm Morag Alexander Scotland Commissioner (tbc)

Commission for Equality and Human Rights, The CEHR in Scotland.

2.00pm Themed Workshops

to include:

· Bargaining on the Disability Duty

· Engaging with the CEHR

· Meeting the Equal Pay requirements of the Gender Equality Duty

· Bargaining on the Race Equality Duty

3.00pm tea/coffee

3.15pm Plenary session

Summary of workshops

3.30pm Close

Contact: Gillian McKay, Regional Equalities Officer (Scotland), Phone: 01382 226268, Fax: 01382 203955

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