- Conference
- 2024 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 14 June 2024
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This Conference is aware of the need to communicate effectively and regularly with retired members. Unlike most working colleagues retired members do not have a workplace or an administrative base at which they can be reached. Retired members live at home. They rely on the Royal Mail or on email for their information from UNISON. This correspondence comes almost exclusively from or via their Branch.
From experience this is happening intermittently or not at all. In the past the branch retired members secretary would deal with communications with her or his retired members. To do so addresses and/or email addresses held by the Retired Members Secretary would be used. Circulars were sent out regularly and timeously.
However, since the increased awareness of the GDPR and the potential consequences of non-compliance, all membership data must remain on the WARMS system. Data is issued to branch officers for specific purposes and must be destroyed once it has been used. Alternatively, mailings and email distributions can be done for branches by regional offices.
The problem for retired members is that sending communications on behalf of retired members or providing data for use by retired members is not always a high priority for Regions and Branches. A solution would be to find a way for retired members secretaries to hold and process membership data that is compliant with GDPR, removing an administrative burden for branch activists and full-time staff.
UNISON web sites are also a way of communicating with retired members but cannot be the only means of communication as according to Age UK 1 in 6 of the over 65’s never use the internet.
Conference therefore calls on the National Retired Members Committee to raise this problem with the NEC and with the General Secretary with a view to removing unnecessary obstacles to retired members secretaries communicating with their members.