GMB Union is launching a NEW National Equality Action Group to scale up campaigning for equality in every workplace where GMB organises.
Our new national action group will bring together members from every GMB region and section with a laser focus on workplace campaigns tackling members’ equality issues and on developing GMB members from underrepresented groups.
The campaigning group will be made up of GMB activists who are women, LGBT+, disabled, from an ethnically diverse background or under 31 years old.
This new group will detect, understand and tackle patterns of discrimination, harassment, segregation, underrepresentation and unfairness at work for members of our five equality strands. It will support GMB branch and regional action to help fight hateful ideas and to make us all safer at work.
At this vital time for equality at work, do you have the skills to collaborate and drive progress? Read on to find out more.
Who will be part of the group?
The new group will include two members from each of GMB’s seven regions plus five national reps who will each lead one of our equality strands. Also joining will be members of GMB’s Central Executive Council.
Become a regional member
Each GMB region will decide how to select their regional representatives, what their criteria are, and their deadline. If you’re interested, tell your Regional Equality Officer now. Contact details for Regional Equality Officers can be found in the FAQ.
Become a national strand lead
Each of our five equality strands – disabled workers, LGBT+ workers, women, the race strand and young workers (under 31) – will be led by a national strand lead.
Candidates to be national strand leads will need to be GMB reps. The five national strand leads will nominate themselves online before being considered and approved as candidates by their GMB regions.
Click here to nominate yourself for election to the National Equality Action Group
GMB reps will receive an email in mid-October 2025 with all the detail, including the requirement to submit a personal statement.
If more than one person stands for any role then there will be an online election in November 2025 of GMB members who belong to that strand. If you want to vote, make sure you’ve given GMB your equality and diversity information.
If you’re a current GMB rep and haven’t received an email about standing for the roles, please check the FAQ before getting in touch.
To find out more about what the group will do and what we are looking for from group members, download and read the National Equality Action Group role descriptor.
Find out more
To help answer questions about the new group we’ve prepared a number of frequently asked questions which tell you a lot more about the group and how it will be set up. Read the FAQ below to find out more about the group, how to stand, and more.
