What particular concerns does UNISON have with regard to current equality laws?
UK equality law still has many gaps, inconsistencies and weaknesses. In many ways, the law remains difficult to access, is poorly enforced, with weak penalties that do not effectively deter discrimination or importantly do not change behaviour. Discrimination remains legal: • age discrimination in goods and services is legal; • carers have no protection against discrimination; • bullying on the basis of religion is not clearly covered; • discrimination in immigration and nationality services is exempt from the law; • protection varies greatly depending on where it occurs, and who is affected. There is a pressing need for an immediate and complete overhaul of equality laws to simplify them and create coherence across the strands of race, gender, religion and belief, sexuality, disability and age. The law alone cannot solve inequality, but strong, protective anti-discrimination laws, and the positive promotion of equality, play a key role. What concerns does UNISON have about the proposa
