- Conference
- 2011 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 1 December 2010
- Decision
- Carried
Conference believes that Agenda for Change is living proof of the benefits of national collective bargaining and represents a major achievement for UNISON.
Conference is appalled by current attempts to undermine Agenda for Change, with the proposals to give individual NHS Trusts the so-called ‘freedom’ to develop local terms and conditions.
Conference notes that Agenda for Change embodies equality principles and policies that are still far from embedded throughout the NHS. For example, in some Trusts the NHS is undoubtedly an employer of choice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) staff. But in other Trusts, management practice is characterised by complete lack of awareness of issues for LGB or transgender staff, and prejudice and harassment go unchallenged. This makes it very difficult for LGBT staff to claim workplace rights to which they are entitled by law.
Equality rights where the attitudes of local managers can affect people’s ability to claim their entitlements include:
a)Protection from harassment by service users
b)Family friendly benefits for non-traditional families
c)Equality at work for people affected by HIV
d)Time off for gender reassignment services.
Conference believes this will be worsened if the NHS White Paper proposals come into effect. Practices currently differ between NHS Trusts – there is even greater unevenness between GP practices.
Conference therefore calls on the Health Service Group Executive to redouble its efforts to defend Agenda for Change, highlighting the risk to equality presented by a move to local bargaining. Conference further calls on all health branches to use UNISON’s LGBT bargaining guides and engage with LGBT members in their branch – or, where there is currently no branch LGBT group, use the resources of their regional LGBT group – to ensure LGBT equality rights are embedded in every NHS workplace.