Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission is a statutory non-departmental public body established by the Equality Act 2006 whose remit is to challenge discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect human rights. It has been awarded 'A' status rating as a National Human Rights Institution by the United Nations.
However, the watchdog's budget has been slashed since 2010, down from US$80 million in 2010 to a projected US$22 million by 2020. According to the unions PCS and Unite, the commission, February 9, 2017, sacked eight staff by email whilst they were on strike in a dispute over budgets and job cuts.
Day 2 at the EHRC picket line in Glasgow#sackedbyemail #reinstatethe8 pic.twitter.com/6aTPrizEXG
— PCS Scotland (@PCS_Scotland) 16 May 2017
PCS and Unite immediately launched a campaign to lobby for the reinstatement of the sacked staff and for their redeployment into one of over 40 vacancies in the Commission. Walkout have already been staged in Glasgow, with rolling strikes planned for London, Cardiff and Manchester in the coming weeks.
Solidarity with EHRC staff disgracefully #sackedbyemail workers rights are all our rights #reinstatethe8 @CWUnews @cwuscot1 @CwuNitb https://t.co/bwEuPhtEfF
— gerry cwu (@gerry_cwu) 16 May 2017
United Nations Review of UK
The news of the rights watchdog's demise comes just weeks after the United Nations itself announced a review of the UK's human rights record following the UK's decision to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a new British bill of rights and the country's decision to implement the Snoopers' Charter.
The UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group met for the third time on May 4, 2017, with a packed agenda including: "the proposal to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a new British bill of rights and the realization of rights enjoyed through EU instruments post-Brexit; the impact of existing counter-terrorism measures; discrimination against minority ethnic communities and preventing racial profiling."
#UPR27 #humanrights review of the #UnitedKingdom concludes. Report of #UPR WG on today's review w/ all recommendations to be adopted 8 May
— HRC SECRETARIAT (@UN_HRC) 4 May 2017
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Theresa May drove through parliament the Investigatory Powers Act — aka the Snoopers' Charter — which became law, November 2016, despite critics saying that it still allows for virtually uninhibited mass surveillance by intelligence agencies.
The act allows or the controlled and supervised interception of all data communications — email, telephone, internet browser and social media usage — by communications companies and their retention for investigation by the police, MI5, MI6, GCHQ and many other government agencies.
