About this campaign
The aim of the 'Together Against Hate' campaign is to raise awareness of hate crime and the harm it does to members and their families.
How to support the campaign
Every year in October there is National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which seeks to shine a light on the issue faced by many in the UK.
You can get involved by organising events, being part of the service at St Paul’s Cathedral and pledging your support on our website so we can use the evidence to back the campaign.
Survey – It’s important to get as many workers as possible to fill out our survey so we can shine a light on their experiences.
Share your story - If you've experienced a hate crime, help us raise awareness by sharing your story. Contact the magazine team at [email protected]
Campaign event – Run a campaign event in your store. Find out more and order your materials.
Defining hate crimes
Many of our members have experienced hate crime either at work or in their communities, with Black and Asian and LGBT+ members being at particular risk.
You can also be a victim of hate crime if the perpetrator thinks you have one of these characteristics, even if you don’t. So for instance you could be attacked because someone thinks you are gay or Muslim or transgender even if you are not. This means anyone can experience hate crime.
Hate crime is a growing problem with several charities reporting a surge in the past week and a rise in the number of incidents over the last five years across the UK.
The term 'hate crime' means any criminal behaviour where the perpetrator (the person carrying out the crime) is motivated by hostility or demonstrates hostility towards the victim's disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity. These aspects of a person's identity are known as 'protected characteristics'. It can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and bullying, as well as damage to property.
- Crown Prosecution Service
An injury to one is an injury to all
The recent surge in extreme right-wing activity has led to an alarming rise in incidents of race hate crime.
Usdaw recognises that the far right consistently targets its hate at specific groups including Black, ethnic and religious minority groups, migrants and refugees, women, LGBT+ people and trade unionists.
Scapegoating ‘minorities’ has long been used as a tactic to divert public attention away from government failures to address pressing social issues and rising inequalities, dividing working people, setting them against one another and fanning the flames of racism and hatred.
The rise of the far right is deeply troubling but can be challenged. Throughout our history trade unions have been at the forefront of the struggle against the far right and it’s attempt to divide working people using narratives of hate and blame.
In order to effectively combat this, we need to be clear as a movement that, in line with our core value of equality, we stand together with all workers and oppose all forms of hate without exception.
Unity is strength. Solidarity.
Hate crime continues to rise in England & Wales
Since 2013, there has been a rise in hate crime across England and Wales, from around 40,000 reported cases to around 140,000 in 2023.
The overwhelming majority of hate crimes are race hate crimes. Race hate crimes account for over three-quarters of all offences reported.
Read more about the rise in hate crimes here.
How to report a hate crime
In an emergency – where a hate crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger – you should always call 999.
You can report a hate crime directly to the police by calling the non-emergency number 101.
If the incident happens at work, talk to your Usdaw rep and your manager.
Find out more about reporting a hate crime here.
Black History Month
Every year, October 1 marks the start of Black History Month.
Each year there is a different focus and in 2024 it was 'Reclaiming Narratives', an invitation to every member of the Black community to take part in shaping how their stories are told.
Find out more about Black History Month here.
