The massacre of Red Crescent and civil defence aid workers has elicited little coverage and no condemnation by major powers — this is the age of lawlessness, warns JOE GILL
Breaking down barriers – Usdaw launches its Black Members Development Programme
Usdaw general secretary PADDY LILLIS introduces a new initiative to improve the representation of black members and make sure the union properly reflects its wider membership

IT GAVE me very great pleasure this week, at the Usdaw annual delegate meeting in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, to be able to announce that applications for our new Black Members Development Programme are now officially open.
This is a new start for a continuing and hugely significant journey for our union, as we seek to overcome the under-representation of black members in our movement.
Like most other unions, black members in Usdaw are under-represented in union roles and at union events. Around 17 per cent of our members are black and they are not always as visible or as rooted in our structures as they could be.
More from this author

We need a proper social security system that supports families and provides a proper safety net, writes PADDY LILLIS, calling for the Labour government to lift the cruel two-child benefit cap

The growing epidemic of retail crime has seen Usdaw members abused, threatened and assaulted — it is time for action, and the May 2 elections can provide it, writes PADDY LILLIS

General secretary PADDY LILLIS explains why Usdaw believes supporting Labour is vital for its members’ well-being — rising costs, economic instability, and punitive restrictions on unions underscore the urgent need for political change

Usdaw general secretary PADDY LILLIS explains why a Labour government would be significantly more progressive on workers’ rights, from banning zero-hours contracts to clamping down on bogus self-employment