Health Inequalities and Disabled Black people

Conference is concerned about inequality inequalities in health service provision for disabled black people. We welcome proposed changes to the Disability Discrimination Act to provide protection from discrimination to people diagnosed with cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis. However we are concerned that inadequate health service provision for disabled black people could result in disadvantage to […]

Accessible Health Screening

Conference is aware of the post code lottery existing throughout the NHS. John Reid pledged to end such practices following the report into NHS funding and service provisions in his speech in parliament in July 2004. Whilst Conference applauds the promises made to develop a fairer and equal distribution of health provision, we remain concerned […]

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

In June 2004 the government was consulting on a white paper Fairness for All on the setting up of a commission for equality and human rights. This commission will replace existing equality bodies including theDisability Rights Commission. Conference notes that equality legislation is different for different groups (such as race, gender, disability, sexuality). In particular […]

Monitoring of Attendance of Disabled Delegates to National Delegate Conference

UNISON is committed to achieving proportionality and fair representation at conferences and throughout its structures. Currently branches entitled to send larger delegations are obliged to maintain reserved seats for low paid members, young members and other under-represented groups. There are processes in place to ensure that this is monitored for women and black members. This […]

The Forthcoming Political Fund Ballot and Funding New Labour

By March 2005 UNISON has to legally ballot the whole membership on whether they wish to have a political fund or not. This fund, with its unique arrangement of two sections, affiliated and general, enables the union to donate monies to political parties and to fund campaigns deemed to be political. Conference believes that it […]

Regional Cost of Living Weightings

Conference recognises the high cost of living in London and the surrounding area. Conference notes: 1)according to the Land Registry the average price of a home in the south east region was £205,109 by the end of 2003, and the average price of a terraced house was £157,659. In Oxford the average home was £245,732 […]

End the Occupation of Iraq

Conference notes that ten months after the end of the war in Iraq: 1.The head of the Iraq survey group has stated that no Weapons of Mass Destruction exist, forcing the UK and UK governments to hold enquiries into the information on WMDs. 2. 3.The Hutton report is widely seen as having totally whitewashed the […]

Access to Facilities and Paid Time Off for All Trade Union Representatives

Conference welcomes the government’s new employment relations bill which contains many useful proposals including the right of unions to make it possible to uphold our rule books and expel elements of the far right from union membership. However, Conference regrets that the bill in its current form does not go far enough and leaves workers […]

Fighting the BNP

Conference believes that racist and fascist organisations have no place in a democratic and pluralistic society. Conference notes that the recent successes of the British National Party (BNP) have been achieved against a background of media-inspired hysteria against asylum seekers, poverty, supposedly failing public services and the failure of the traditional political parties to engage […]

Housing

Conference condemns the government’s failure to tackle the country’s housing crisis. Conference notes that since May 1997, only 1343 council houses have been built. Futhermore, housing finance rules mean that local authorities are prevented from directly investing in existing council housing in order to bring it up to a decent standard. The government’s priorities on […]

Public Services

Conference shares the government’s ambitions of a future fair for all, delivering to all citizens world class public services based on need and not the ability to pay. The public services have become the new political battleground on which the last general election was, and the next will be, fought. Conference notes with great regret […]

End the Two Tier Workforce

Despite government promises, a two-tier workforce is still operating in our public services. In England, Scotland and Wales, government has signed up to protocols about future services. In Northern Ireland, government is still considering proposals. In the meantime, low paid workers in health and education, who were privatised are being exploited. Conference calls upon the […]

Organising and Recruitment

Conference welcomes the dedicated work of regions and branches on organising and recruitment and congratulates the branches involved in the highly successful schools organising and recruitment campaigns, which led to significant increases in members, workplace contacts and stewards. Conference believes that UNISON is facing new and dynamic organisation pressures including: 1)a significant increase in public […]

Rule A.3 Anti-Discrimination Policy

Rules A.3, B.1.2, B.1.3, B.1.6, B.1.7, B.2.6, D.2.11.3, I.2.3 and Q Fair Representation after “sexuality,” insert “gender identity.” Rule B.2.3 delete “lesbians and gay men.” and insert “, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members.”

Rule P.1.3.6 Application of Standing Orders

Add new Rule P.1.3.6: “P.1.3.6Standing Orders Committees for Service Group Conferences, in exercising powers in accordance with Rule P.2.3, shall have regard to the national negotiating machinery in devolved administrations. The Standing Orders Committee may make recommendations to restrict voting to representatives of members covered by that machinery which shall be subject to ratification by […]