Statement on intolerance and the Far Right

Statement from Prospect union, of which Bectu is a sector:

Prospect is proud to represent members from many nations who have chosen to relocate to the UK. Along with British workers with diverse heritage we represent, everyone benefits from their skills and expertise.

Regrettably, we have become aware that some of our members and their families have been subjected to distressing verbal assaults. Prospect believes that all workers deserve to be treated with tolerance and respect. Ill-informed xenophobic and racist insults should have no place in our country.

We were appalled by the violence that we saw around the Unite the Kingdom rally in London last weekend. The reprehensible comments of Tommy Robinson, Elon Musk and other speakers are directly contributing to an atmosphere where workers are put at risk.

The Far Right is no friend of working people, seeking to divide our communities. Trade unions have a proud tradition of uniting workers, and we will do all we can to support our members right across the country.

We are proud to support Hope Not Hate in their grassroots work to combat extremism and would encourage our members to support their work too. We will also work, including through the TUC, to consider what more can be done to tackle hatred, racism and xenophobia.