Luton Council has strengthened its commitment to tackling racism and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion by signing UNISON’s Anti-Racism Charter.
The council’s Interim Chief Executive Mark Fowler and Portfolio Holder for Women, Equalities and Community Safety Cllr Maria Lovell MBE, signed the charter at an event held in the Town Hall on 27 May.
Co-developed by black workers across the Eastern Region of UNISON and backed by the GMB and Unite unions, the charter sets out actions for public sector organisations to proactively challenge all forms of racism, including Islamophobia and antisemitism.
The charter commits the council to having a clear and visible race equality policy, as well as programme of anti-racism initiatives such as training for all staff. It also promotes the development of a diverse workforce, prioritises staff wellbeing by addressing the impact of racism, and requires regular reviews of strategies to improve racial equity and inclusion – ensuring the organisation better reflects the communities it serves.
Cllr Maria Lovell MBE said: “By adopting UNISON’s Anti-Racism Charter, we are reinforcing our pledges to become an actively anti-racist organisation and building a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of Luton at every level. We’ve made significant progress since the passing of the landmark Black Lives Matter motion in 2021, including a more representative senior management team – but we know there is still work to do.
“Signing this charter is a powerful statement of intent. It signals our determination to work with our communities and partners to address historic structural and systemic racism and ensure that anti-racism is embedded in all that we do.”
Clive Roberts, Chair of UNISON Eastern Region’s Black Workers Self Organised Group, said: “The intent behind the charter is for it to be more than just a document with ideas on how to challenge workplace racial discrimination, but a constant commitment to transform public-service employers into explicitly anti-racist institutions.
“We acknowledge that Luton Council has come a far way along this journey, but we want to ensure the message that racism will not be tolerated, is heard and understood in this organisation. There will be no place for it; and staff subjected to racism will know that there is a pathway that is fully supported by leadership at every level of the council to redress it.
“The charter commitment is for the council to be more than non-racist but to become an anti-racist organisation. This means actively working to understand, explain and challenge racial inequity, not merely being a silent by-stander. The principal difference between both status is being prepared to call out racism and act consistently. Fostering an environment where it’s neither funny nor ok to be racist.
“The signing of the charter is a momentous day for Black workers in Luton Council. We look forward to the journey of learning as we navigate the complexities around this issue.”
An action plan will be going to the council’s Executive in the next few months to set out their response to the charter.
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