AGE DISCRIMINATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Conference notes that UNISON has been represented on the National Advisory Group for the Review of Age Discrimination in Health and Social Care which is due to report to the Secretary of State for Health in October 2009. Conference further notes that the Review’s objectives are to recommend: i.The timetable by which health and adult […]

HOMECARE SERVICES

Conference believes that nothing represents more potently the way in which our society values its elderly citizens than home – or domiciliary – care services. They are the point at which the state – literally – enters the private household to ensure the well-being and health of its most vulnerable citizens. However, councils are faced […]

OLDER PEOPLE’S LIVES ARE GETTING WORSE

A report “One Voice: Shaping Our Ageing Society” was launched on 7 April by Age Concern and Help the Aged to mark the formation of their new charity. The report examined the issues facing older people in the UK, such as poverty, age discrimination, isolation and lack of care and support. The report claims that […]

WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS FOR ALL PENSIONERS

Conference notes that around 20,000 pensioners die every year from cold-related illnesses, with 90% of excess winter deaths affecting the over 65s. To help combat this, 2.9 million pensioners receive winter fuel payments, currently worth £250 for over 60s or £400 for over 80s. Conference will be aware that UNISON believes the current winter fuel […]

TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR RETIRED MEMBERS

This Conference applauds UNISON for its policies of equality and inclusion for all its members. Retired members are a valuable resource and it should be recognised that many of our number are still able, active and proud to be a vital part of UNISON. However, with the future growth of retired members due to the […]

PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE

This Conference recognises the fact that recently a number of cases regarding assisted suicide have had a high profile in the UK media, and it is now time that a serious debate on this extremely sensitive subject be brought into the public arena. The tragic circumstances that both a patient and their loved ones face […]

RETIRED MEMBERS AND VIRTUAL BRANCHES

This Conference welcomes the initiative by UNISON in October 2008 in selecting twelve local branches for the initial step in setting up ‘Virtual Branches’ on the internet. This will make it easier for members to make their voices heard, get help, advice and become involved in their branch. This is especially important when retired members […]

STATUTORY TRAVEL CONCESSION SCHEME IN ENGLAND

On 29 October 2008 the Department for Transport launched a 12 week consultation document proposing five further restrictions to the statutory travel concession scheme in England. They stated that it had never been intended to cover all local public transport services. Only 128 responses were received. None came from any Trades Union! Passed into law […]

COMMISSIONERS FOR OLDER AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE

This Conference calls upon the National Retired Members’ Committee and ultimately the National Executive Council to use whatever means at its disposal to lobby the Government with a view to creating Commissioners for Older and Vulnerable People (as in Wales) to champion the interests of these people in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Local Government NJC Pay Dispute 2008 and Future Pay Strategy

Government policy to hold down pay for Council workers as outlined in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review for 2007-2011 is set to continue beyond this period. The pre budget report in November 2008 calls for “continued discipline” and multi year pay deals. This is part of the Government’s objective to control local government spending to […]

Recruit, Recruit

It is clear from the 2008 NJC and SJC pay disputes that our low density in many local authorities and outsourced local government services undermines our bargaining power at local and at national level. The LGA is controlled by the Conservatives, out of a total of 440 local authorities; the majority of local authorities are […]

Growing Crisis in Social Work

Conference notes with alarm the mounting pressures on social workers and condemns the witch-hunts and vilification against social workers waged by parts of the media. They ignore the facts and the pressures in favour of finding easy targets to blame. Both Government and Opposition politicians have equally cynically fuelled the media campaign, often in direct […]

DEMENTIA

One million people will develop dementia in the next ten years. One in three people over the age of 65 will die from dementia, but it can happen at any age. Drugs may alleviate some symptoms but dementia can be defeated. For every £283 invested in cancer research dementia gets only £11! Conference therefore instructs […]

CONFERENCE ACCOMMODATION

This Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to investigate the matter of conference accommodation bearing in mind the difficulties encountered at the 2008 conference venue, namely the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow, by some delegates. The conference section had booked a number of rooms at special rates and after those had been allocated delegates were […]

TRADE UNION CONGRESS (TUC) COMPOSITE 6: TUC CONFERENCE 2006 – STATE PENSION

Conference notes with concern that despite UNISON’s support for Composite 6 on the state pension and restoring the link to earnings for increases carried at the 2006 TUC Conference, nothing tangible has taken place to improve the lot of today’s pensioners. According to a recent independent report on ‘Households below average income level’, more than […]