TRADE unionists and campaigners are set to fight back against Britain’s “ugly immigrant-bashing racism” today as thousands take to the streets for a UN Anti-Racism Day rally.

The march comes less than 24 hours after delegates at Unite the Union’s Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities (BAEM) conference overwhelmingly agreed to push Labour to repeal the Immigration Act 2014.

Under the new legislation migrants’ rights are severely restricted alongside access to healthcare from the NHS.

Unite BAEM national officer Sulinder Singh said: “Race discrimination remains an ugly cancer of the modern day.

“Discrimination of course is not new, but does become progressively more acute under times of economic distress as people who are different are disproportionately scapegoated for an economic crisis caused by the banksters and compounded by the negative austerity obsession by the Con-Dems.”

Mr Singh also emphasised that the labour movement needs to be prepared to deal with prejudice directly.

“Without appropriate applied legal safeguards it is wholly possible to create an environment conducive to effective socio-economic ethnic cleansing within the workplace.

“On international Anti Racism Day the message is very clear, it is not a black or a white issue, but a humanity issue, that can only truly be overcome by collectively working together to the betterment of all,” he said.

Supporting yesterday’s motion on the abolishment of the Immigration Act, Sainsbury’s representative Neelam Verma said: “Any sort of racial discrimination is unacceptable really.

“When I came to this country I thought I was coming into a fairyland, but the reality hit very, very soon.”

The Stand Up To Racism London march will count with the support not just of the unions, but also of a number of politicians and civil society groups.

Labour MP Diane Abbott said: “A wave of ugly immigrant-bashing racism is sweeping through Britain, led by Ukip, pandered to by the media and conceded to by many others.

“This demonstration is the start of the fightback. We have to gather everyone willing to stand up to racism.”