School Staff National Negotiations

Conference is aware that there has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of support and professional staff employed in schools over the last 5 years. In addition, their roles and responsibilities have also increased however pay has not always kept place with this. Conference notes the Secretary of State, Ed Balls’, announcement last autumn, […]

Care of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

This Conference notes )the recent publication of ‘Better Outcomes: the way forward – improving the care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children’ by the Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA) which sets out the framework for providing services to unaccompanied asylum seeking children; 2)That unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people arrive in this country separated from their family and […]

Campaigning for a fair deal for LGPS members

Conference notes that Statutory Instrument 2007, number 1166, issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) which outlined the ‘new look’ LGPS, stated that “Administering and employing authorities shall have regard to guidance to be issued by the Secretary of State, before 31 March 2009, as to the manner in which the costs […]

Local Government/Health Interface

Conference notes continuing moves toward towards increasing integration between health and social care in government policy in England Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland health and social care are integrated but are undergoing the upheaval of the ‘super-Trust’ restructuring. The implications of integration are widespread and include the threat of a combined push towards the […]

Housing

Conference welcomes the Government’s commitment to: 1)Two million new homes by 2016 and three million by 2020; 2)The review of the housing revenue account ‘to ensure that we have a sustainable, long term system for financing council housing’; 3)Recently published figures from Communities and Local Government suggest that over the next 15 years HRA surpluses […]

Pay in the Community and Voluntary Sector

Conference notes that, despite strong campaigning by UNISON, pay and conditions for our members in the community and voluntary sector (CVS) are inferior to those in the public sector. UNISON members in the community and voluntary sector have long had a very strong involvement as providers of social care. As CVS organisations provide an increasing […]

Centrica Pensions

This Conference notes with concern the policy of companies within the energy industry to close final salary pension schemes. This has moved forward with the announcement by Centrica pensions to fundamentally change their entire pension portfolio, where the protected final salary scheme is to be transferred resulting in increased contributions and reduced benefits for our […]

Barriers to Progression and Promotion for Black Employees

Conference is deeply concerned that Black workers experience severe disadvantage in job promotion and career progression prospects. In line with UNISON’s objective of negotiating and bargaining on behalf of members and promoting equality, Conference calls upon the National Energy Service Group Executive to work with the National Black Members’ Committee and the NEC to: 1Produce […]

Disability Discrimination in Sickness Absence, Capability and Disciplinary Procedures

This Conference believes that energy companies continue to discriminate against disabled workers despite their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. Harsh sickness absence policies that fail to take account of disability related leave (as advised in the Code of Practice for Employment and Occupation), capability procedures that fail to recognise that performance can be affected […]

Barriers to Progression and Promotions for Black Employees

This NBMC is deeply concerned that Black workers experience severe disadvantage in job promotion and career progression prospects. In line with UNISON’s objective of negotiating and bargaining on behalf of members and promoting equality, this NBMC asks NEC to work with the National Black Members’ Committee to: 1)Produce a report which collates statistics from each […]

The Bicentenary of the Transatlantic “Slave Trade” Legacy

Conference will be aware that 2007 was the year of commemorating the beginning of the end of enslavement of Afrikan people. There was a wide range of remembrance events taking place in the UK. Many, however, missed the fact that it was only the transatlantic trade that ended 200 years ago. This probably increased the […]

Use of Disciplinary Procedure Against Black Staff

This National Black Members’ Conference notes that there is a disproportionate amount of Black members and black UNISON activists who are subject to disciplinary procedures and victimisations within the workplace. This leads to the question of whether disciplinary procedures are being applied fairly and equally to all staff. A consequence of this is that the […]

Black History Month

Conference notes that too often the history, perspectives and contributions of African, Asian and Caribbean communities are not reflected in the educational curriculum, employment or society. Crimes committed against Black people including empire and colonialism are often presented as positive achievements with the reality of what they meant for millions of people and their ongoing […]

End the Occupation of Iraq: Don’t Attack Iran

Conference notes that four years after the invasion of Iraq, the US-led occupation has had a horrific human cost on Black people, including the deaths of 655,000 Iraqis, and 3,352 US and 147 British troops. The past year has seen violence escalate to unprecedented levels. The occupation has been brutal, with the use of chemical […]

Zero Tolerance of Racism in Community Health Centres and Primary Healthcare Centres

Conference is deeply concerned that Black healthcare workers and social services staff who work in communities are often the subject of racist abuse and sometimes racist violence. Hate crime against primary healthcare workers and other frontline staff is increasing. Conference welcomes the policy of Zero Tolerance in NHS departments such as A&E, hospital wards, etc […]