The Make Equality Real campaign demands politicians commit to write socio-economic duty into the Equality Act
Trade unions have launched a campaign calling on politicians to make austerity unlawful by pledging to write socio-economic duty into the Equality Act 2010.
The Make Equality Real campaign calls on all candidates to make a clear commitment in their general election manifestos to make section 1 of the equality act – the socio-economic duty – law, reducing poverty to help make austerity unlawful.
Nine trade unions and campaign groups have backed the new petition, launched by the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), that highlights the devastating impact of austerity policies in the UK over the last 14 years.
The petition states how, according to the Progressive Economy Forum, austerity has cost the UK half a trillion pounds of public spending, while the growth between the richest in society and the rest of the population has widened since 2010 according to ONS data.
Furthermore there has been a devastating rise in child poverty, with No Child Left Behind finding that today in Britain 4.2m children are trapped in poverty.
In the Make Equality Real petition it says: “We believe that socio-economic duty should be written into the Equality Act 2010 as part of a campaign to end austerity and make equality real. Ensuring that everyone in Britain can live secure and fulfilling lives.”
It goes on: “The mainstream economic opinion is that austerity policies are hugely damaging, and that government spending and disposable incomes are vital to a healthy economy as they allow for the creation of jobs, good public services and the circulation of capital.”
The campaign is supported by; Artists’ Union England (AUE), Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP), Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), Community, General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO), Social Workers Union (SWU), The Equality Trust.
You can find the petition here.
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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