GREENWICH: Unison activists found guilty of racism (From News Shopper)

GREENWICH: Unison activists found guilty of racism

12:30pm Monday 20th July 2009 in News By Matthew Jenkin

FOUR union activists have been found guilty of racism after distributing a leaflet featuring the three wise monkeys.

Public service union Unison took action against its members, including the Greenwich branch's Onay Kasab, after they produced a leaflet showing the three wise monkeys from a Japanese proverb, with the caption "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".

The leaflet criticised the union for a lack of debate at its national conference in 2007, but the four were told by union chiefs some people could find the image racially offensive.

At a disciplinary hearing last Thursday (July 16), Unison’s claims were upheld.

A sentence will be announced in the next 14 days and could include expulsion from the union.

Mr Kasab: “This decision will be greeted with outrage.

“In the teeth of an economic recession unions should be fighting for our members, not deciding that an ancient Buddhist symbol, an image popularised by Gandhi and indeed a common every day saying used by black and white alike, is now racist."