No Hate at Pride

Conference is appalled by the trans exclusionary radical feminist protestors from Lancaster Resisters who decided to march at the front of the Manchester Pride parade in August this year. Reports suggest that they covered about half of the parade route before exiting the parade after engagement by Police and Pride Officials. Following the event, a […]

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Conference notes that the deadlines for submission of motions and of amendments this year were 12th June and 7th August respectively. Conference also notes that the Report of the National Retired Members Committee (the Committee) including action arising from 2018 Retired Members Conference (the Report) was published on the Retired Members pages of the UNISON […]

[NDC MOTION] DEFENDING AND PROGRESSING LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PLUS (LGBT+) INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Conference welcomes the introduction of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Plus (LGBT+) inclusive relationship education in primary schools and relationship and sex education (RSE) in secondary schools, which forms part of the Department for Education’s statutory guidance. Conference notes these guidelines cover disabled pupils in mainstream schools, Additionally Resourced Provision (ARPs) and extend to special […]

CELEBRATING OUR LGBT+ DISABLED MEMBERS SELF- ORGANISATION AND DIVERSITY

Conference believes that self- organised groups (SOGs) are the equality life blood of UNISON. The core to trade union organising is bringing people together who share a common experience at work. That is why we organise members who share a common workplace experience of oppression and discrimination due to gender or race or because they […]

LGBT+ DISABILITY ACTIVISM IN ILGA-EUROPE

Conference welcomes the fact that ILGA-Europe have organised a “Gathering for D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists in Europe and Central Asia” which takes place 21 – 24 November 2019 in Brussels and that UNISON will be part of that gathering. The gathering provides the opportunity for D/deaf, disabled lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) […]

Palestine

Conference notes: a)2019 commemorates the 52nd anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza b) In 2017 research by War on Want showed that HSBC had invested over £800 million in, and provided syndicated loans worth up to £19 billion for, companies providing weapons and equipment to the Israeli military. These […]

Equal Pensions

Conference notes that: 1)The Supreme Court decision in Walker v Innospec in July 2017, that upon John Walker’s death his husband should get the same pension as would a wife had he married a woman, relies upon European Union (EU) law and sets aside a provision of the United Kingdom’s Equality Act 2010 that permitted […]

Ethical procurement

Conference recognises that modern slavery is usually hidden and that there are high risks of slavery linked to the global supply chains of the goods and services we procure. Conference applauds UNISON’s commitment to ensuring there is no slavery or human trafficking within any part of its business or its supply chains. This is an […]

ENGAGING BRANCHES IN LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PLUS RECRUITMENT AND ORGANSING

Conference welcomes the successful campaign to seek a rule change to become a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Plus (LGBT+) Self Organised Group at this year’s National Delegate Conference (NDC). This change would not have been possible if it had not been for the work of our activists sharing the reasons for this important change […]

The Vatican Educational Paper on Gender Theory – A Confused Concept!

Conference believes that since the repeal of Section 28 in 2003 educators on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Plus (LGBT+) inclusive education in schools have made an essential contribution in the fight for equality rights for the LGBT+ community. However in recent years we have seen a backlash to this from the far right and […]

Sexual Harassment of the LGBT+ Workforce

Conference acknowledges the findings of the recent Trades Unions Congress (TUC) report “Sexual harassment of LGBT people in the workplace, published in May 2019, which details the shockingly high levels of sexual harassment and sexual assault faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) workers. The reports sets out the unheard voices of LGBT workers […]

Making the Bi Network More Inclusive

Conference notes and embraces the strides that UNISON has taken in the establishment of a now thriving bi network within the union. Conference also welcomes the addition of the plus to our group, which demonstrates our commitment to the inclusion of our siblings who use different labels for themselves, including those who identify as pansexual […]

Access to Abortion

Conference notes the tightening of abortion access in states such as Alabama in the United States of America (USA) with despair. Abortion is a health issue and disproportionately affects people in poverty, the working poor and people living in rural areas Despite recent Parliamentary intervention in the absence of a Stormont Assembly, access within the […]

Bi Young Members

In UNISON’s year of the young worker, conference notes that our recent name change to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender plus (LGBT+) is a progressive step towards further inclusion. It was our young members who suggested the name change and this was whole heartedly supported by the work of our National LGBT+ committee. Our young […]

GENDER RECOGNITION ACT REFORM – A LACK OF PROGRESS.

Conference notes that the consultation by the Westminster government on reform of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) 2004 closed on the 19th October 2018. Since the closure of the consultation, there has been little sign of specific proposals to reform the GRA. Conference further notes that in the LGBT Action Plan: Annual progress report 2018 […]