- Conference
- 2025 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 4 June 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
It has become apparent that some Unison members in Branches and Regions are experiencing difficulties in communicating with colleagues and associations as they are not computer literate or able to afford computers.
The subject of digital exclusion is included in a recent report by the Government’s House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee. The report hits out at what the authors say was a failure of previous Governments to address digital exclusion of older people as services, particularly around banking and health, increasingly move online.
Government has set up the Digital Inclusion Action Committee, an advisory body made up of national and local experts to scrutinize, steer and help determine the work of Government in reducing digital exclusion. It will work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
It is important for all levels of Government to consider digital exclusion problems on their agendas. Libraries, in particular, are to play an important part in this process.
Therefore, this Unison National Retired Members Conference calls on the Unison National Retired Members Committee to increase awareness of digital exclusion to ensure that Unison retired members are not disadvantaged by being excluded digitally.