Amendment to Rule Option 1

Conference wishes the following to be considered as one of the choices for the two motions and/or amendments to Rule to be submitted by the Retired Members’ Organisation to National Delegate Conference 2024 in accordance with Rule D.1.10.4: “Rule D – Structure of the union at national level. In Rule D.2 – National Executive Council […]

Britain’s railway ticket offices scheduled for closure

Almost 1,000 ticket offices are set to close across the country with the loss of thousands of jobs and creating accessibility problems for different types of travellers, especially for older people and persons with disabilities not using smart phones or computers, without ticket offices and on station support a huge swathe of passengers could be […]

New Versus Old State Pension

This conference notes that whilst the retention of the Triple Lock for the year beginning April 2023 must be applauded, in no small part to our own campaigning, we need to be wary of what the future holds. Conference must not be complacent and we will need to keep fighting for its retention in the […]

Housing, older people and the cost-of-living crisis

There are almost 11 million people aged 65 and over in the UK which represents nearly 20% of the total population. Yet the government continues to ignore the plight of many pensioners and to place the interests of developers and the private sector housing providers before the housing needs of older people. Many pensioners facing […]

GP and Pharmacy Services

Conference notes with concern the Government’s pressure for people to consult pharmacists in the first instance rather than their GP surgery. This is the result of its continuing underfunding of the NHS and, in particular, general practice surgeries, with a large deficit of fully trained GPs. This is at a time when pharmacies across all […]

Maximising the Support of Retired Members

Conference notes that, as well as campaigning on issues that relate directly to retired members, we have the potential and a responsibility to support the campaigns of working members. This is not new but is now more important than ever in the current period of intense struggle against a government and employers who are intent […]

Stop rise in State Pension age

Conference notes the widespread opposition to the plan by President Macron to increase the State Retirement Age in France from 62 to 64 may well have been a factor in the decision by the UK Government to delay making a decision on the rise in the State Pension Age to 68, with reports that ministers […]

PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF ENERGY UTILITIES

Conference believes: 1)Retired members have been particularly hard hit by the cost-of-living crisis and in particular the massive increases in energy bills since April 2021 that has hit millions of people. 2. Retired members who are at home during the day have faced the impossible juggling act of trying to keep themselves warm and still […]

Renationalise the Royal Mail

The Royal Mail has a long and proud history. It was founded in the Tudor period in 1516 when Henry VIII established a “Master of the Posts”. The Uniform Penny Post was established in 1840 and effectively the system continued to operate successfully until, 2013 when the decision was taken to privatise the Royal Mail […]

Social Care

SOCIAL CARE Conference notes that from April 2022 National Insurance contributions have risen by 1.5% supposedly to help meet the cost of the NHS and also to provide additional funding for Social Care. Conference further notes that money is unlikely to be available for Social Care in the first instance. Prime Minister Johnson has always […]

Campaign Communication

World War Two, the Coronavirus pandemic plus years of Conservative Government has had a devastating effect on Unison retired members. We receive one of the worst state pensions in Europe even though the UK is one of the richest countries in the world. When we reach the age of 80 we get an extra 25 […]

Now is the time – A Commissioner for Older People in England.

Conference is only too aware having a UNISON steward to advocate in the workplace during difficult times for our members can mean all the difference in the world for outcomes in disciplinaries, grievances and potential dismissals. Having a Commissioner to advocate for Older People has the very same potential to make substantial changes which can […]

More consistent support for Retired Members’ activity

This Conference acknowledges the substantial financial and other support given by the union for UNISON retired members activity, e.g. Retired Members’ Conference, and its other democratic structures and activities, providing staff resources, etc. This Conference recognises, however, that the level of support is not consistent across all branches and regions, and that this can lead […]

FREE TV LICENCE FOR THE OVER 75-YEAR-OLDS

Conference recognises that it’s been nearly 2 years now since the BBC announced its intention to remove the free TV licence provision from the over 75s in 2020 [having been forced by the Conservative government to take over the funding of this social benefit]. Since then, the protests have never stopped! Groups including Age UK, […]

POVERTY FOR OLDER PEOPLE

Conference is concerned that over at least the last 5 there has been regressive changes to the state and other pension provision and to benefits older people are entitled to, including 165,606 UNISON retired members Just now more than 12 million older people in receipt of the State Pension are worse off after the Government […]