- Conference
- 2005 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 25 February 2005
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference is concerned that domestic abuse accounts for at least 25 per cent of all violent crime, one in four women will experience domestic abuse at some time in their lives, and that every week two men kill their femal partners or female ex-partners.
Conference welcomes the recent moves by government to raise awareness of domestic abuse and to improve the provision of services to victims, particularly through inter-agency working. However, there is still concern at the levels of funding available to government and non-government agencies that are providing valuable assistance to women experiencing or who have experienced domestic abuse and to agencies who work with men who abuse.
Conference is concerned that the cost of obtaining a non-molestation and/or occupation order (or an interdict and/or exclusion order as applied in scots law)with the assistance of a solicitor can reach up to £2,000. As legal aid is means-tested many women are denied access to this service because their abusive partner’s salary is taken into account and they are also in employment.
Domestic abuse affects the working lives of members. Many of our members are working for government and non-government agencies involved in tackling the various aspects and effects of domestic abuse and will come into contact with both those who experience domestic abuse and perpetrators. This could disproportionately affect any members who are those who experience domestic abuse. It is now accepted that victims could be working in the same building as their perpetrator. UNISON was one of the first trade unions to realise that violence in the home is a trade union issue through its ground-breaking campaign Raise the Roof.
Conference therefore instructs the National Executive Council to:
1)lobby relevant government departments with a view to increasing awareness of domestic abuse both as a workplace and a citizenship issue, increasing the funding available to statutory and voluntary sector bodies concerned in tackling domestic abuse, and urging a review of the criteria to enable women to access legal aid when seeking injunctions (or interdicts/non-harassment orders as applied in scots law) in cases of domestic abuse;
2)work with Labour Link and self-organised groups to maximise the effectiveness of work in this area;
3)ensure guidance on negotiating workplace policies is up to date and relates to current good practice in this field. Policies and materials produced to support those who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse should include information for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, the transgender community and other disadvantaged groups;
4)to provide for branch officers and shop stewards, who support members experiencing domestic abuse, appropriate education and training opportunities which recognise the impact of domestic abuse on work life.