Equality Act must deliver, says CSP

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Published: 6 Jul 2010

The CSP has called on all unions to ‘push hard’ to ensure that the public sector equality duty in the new Equality Act is fully implemented and enforced.

Putting forward a motion at the TUC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender conference, held on 1-2 July in London, CSP steward Lee Matthews said the public sector equality duty, which includes protection on the grounds of sexual orientation, should not become ‘just fine words’.

The new Equality Act is due to be implemented from October. It will consolidate, and hopefully simplify, the numerous existing discrimination laws in one place.

Duty to comply

The public sector equality duty is expected to come into force in April 2011.

But Lee Matthews told the conference: ‘There is a real danger that the new coalition government will fail to issue instructions to public authorities on what they have to do.’

‘We need clear codes of practice, full compliance, regular monitoring and for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to be given sufficient resources to monitor and challenge those organisations who fail to fully comply’.

The motion was passed unanimously.