Anti-Racism Framework
The CWU Anti-Racism Framework was launched in 2021 and became a central focus for the union in its efforts to reaffirm its status as both an anti-racism trade union and employer.
One of the views that led to this new path was that we should not be outsourcing our anti-racism activity to external anti-racism organisations; and whilst we are still proud to stand with organisations such as Stand Up to Racism, Show Racism the Red Card and many others, we needed our own commitment to be seen and formalised, which in-turn saw the birth of the CWU Anti-Racism Framework.
Thousands of CWU members and their families have already signed up to the CWU’s Anti-Racism Statement:
“The values of a trade union bridge every divide and the CWU is a strong anti-racist organisation.
We deliver change together, we win ballots together, we take on employers together, and we will confront racism together. Our priority is to unite working people by recognising that we share far more in common with one another than we do with those who seek to exploit and divide us.
The signatories of this statement commit to:
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Calling out and challenging racism wherever we see it, in wider society or the workplace
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Uniting working people, by being open to new effective approaches, including practical steps that tackle racism and all forms of injustice through the power of our collective strength
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Promoting this statement to colleagues, friends and family – urging them to show their support.”
Our Anti-Racism Framework takes an innovative approach, moving to a new stronger narrative. This new framework will see us collaborating with organisations that will deliver new synergy on learning and outreach, seeing us engaging with various community projects to highlight their brilliant work and offer our support where it is practical for us to do so.
Our Windrush75 event is an example of our commitment to diversifying our approach and spreading a much more powerful message of collectivism and cohesion.
For the CWU, being anti-racist means many things. It means calling it out when we see it, it means having those sometimes challenging conversations so people can be better informed on issues connected with Race – it also means developing a deeper awareness on the connection between wealth inequality, class and racism, and understanding that for the vast majority of us, our values are shared and our aims in work and wider society are never far apart.