Unison Cymru - Black members’ Abolition of Slavery Event
// Many events and commissions I learn from, almost all give me the privilege of working with interesting people and I love the diversity of my work and the ongoing opportunities to learn. It really is an honour to work in an environment that inspires and moves me and this was one such event.
Held on the 23rd August - International Day for the remembrance of the slave trade and it’s abolition - the event remembered those who gave so much in their struggle for freedom and celebrated the abolition of the slave trade.
However, it was a poignant time to remember that slavery and human trafficking is still an issue, including all across Wales. Wales has the only Anti Slavery co-ordinator in the UK, who discussed the crucial work done to tackle and prosecute those who trade in modern slavery. I couldn’t help but be struck by the depth of emotion from him as he discussed a fraction of the cases that land on his desk in the course of his job and the reflected on the impact that it has had on the lives of those trapped by slavery today.
Vaughan Gething AM discussed the rise in intolerance since Brexit and the need more than ever now for the trade union movement to be at the forefront of fighting discrimination. It is a troubling time to be dealing with a huge backwards slide in equality that Brexit has broken open. This hasn’t just impacted through racism but also sexism and the rise in disability hate crime. By dehumanising and disrespecting groups of society in the way that we’ve seen so very clearly in recent months, this is the result.
To finish on a positive note, Margaret Greer, Chair of Unison Black Members, gave a rousing speech and concluded by leading the audience in song with Labi Siffre's “Something Inside So Strong”, really galvanising the strength of feeling of everyone present and hopefully inspiring us all to keep up the important fight for equality and human rights.
