Implementing the Race Relations (Amendment) Act

Conference welcomes the Race Relations (Amendment) Act which places greater duty and responsibility on public sector bodies to end discriminatory practices in employment, eliminate racial discrimination and promote race equality. Furthermore, Conference welcomes the commitment to developing codes of practice for relevant public bodies. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act through the Commission for Racial Equality’s […]

Pensions

This Conference supports wholeheartedly Composite E which was carried at the 2002 UNISON National Delegate Conference. This Conference notes that we all rely on the pension earned during employment to provide a reasonable standard of living in retirement and financial protection for our families and partners in the event of death or ill health. This […]

Right to Care Campaign

In November 2001, UNISON, with a number of other organisations, launched the Right to Care Campaign. The aims of the Campaign are as follows: 1)That the Government must introduce personal and nursing care that is free at the point of use and funded from general taxation; 2)That this care should be the entitlement of everyone, […]

Improvements in Communications

This Conference believes that existing means of communications between UNISON at a national level and branch retired members’ groups are practically non-existent. Conference strongly urges the National Retired Members’ Committee to take urgent remedial action to improve this situation. In particular, Conference requests that some form of regular publications such as the National Retired Members’ […]

Care Home Closures

This Conference condemns the fact that 700 long term care homes in England and Wales were closed during 2001 due to repeated loss of government funding. This Conference requests the National Executive Council, Affiliated Political Fund and other appropriate organisations to use their good offices with the current government to seek to reverse this trend […]

Discrimination

This Conference recognises the legal requirements of sex discrimination and race discrimination. It also recognises that age discrimination is used but is not illegal. This Conference demands that age discrimination is made illegal and instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to make all representations through the National Executive Council, Affiliated Political Fund and other appropriate […]

Proposed Changes in Benefit Payment System 2003

During 2003, no exact date at present, the Benefits Agency is proposing to cease the payment of all state benefits, including benefits to pensioners, via the present weekly order book system. Instead, they intend to make payments to clients on a four week basis, direct into a bank account, thus removing yet another freedom of […]

Care Homes

This Conference calls upon the National Executive Council, Service Groups and Affiliated Political Fund to make representations to the Government to keep open local authority residential homes by any means possible, as care in the community is often inadequate for the needs of the recipients. This Conference deplores the fact that many people in residential […]

The Infiltration of the British National Party (BNP) into the Political Landscape

The issue of race is sensitive now as at anytime in the 25 years of the Commission for Racial Equality’s existence. The far right is on the rise across Europe and, in this country, the BNP has gained a foothold in local government and this is very disturbing. There have been race riots in several […]

Opposition to the Proposed Single Equality Commission

The Government has announced that it intends to create a single equality commission to champion women, gay people, ethnic minorities, the elderly and disabled people. If this radical merger takes place it could dilute the rights of different minority groups. The Government’s intention is to have one body that can enforce the rapidly expanding body […]

Institutional Racism

It has been almost ten years since the death of Stephen Lawrence. In that time we have heard Dave Prentis say: “UNISON believes that tackling the problem of institutional racism within public services is essential not only for black workers but also to improve public services”. This is why it is important to establish what […]

Publicity for Black Members’ Conference

Conference notes that this is the tenth Conference that the National Black Members’ Committee has held but there has never been any occasion where the mass media – press, local and national newspapers and television – have given publicity to the National Black Members’ Conference, especially on the first day of Conference by interviewing key […]

Proposed Equalities Commission

This Conference notes the proposal to join together the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and Disability Rights Commission (DRC) under one new Equalities Commission. At this stage it appears that this new Commission could also deal with lesbian and gay and age discrimination. This Conference has previously expressed concerns about the […]

Implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

UNISON has worked tirelessly since the death of Stephen Lawrence to influence a change to the Race Relations Act. We now have those changes and must continue to make a concentrated commitment throughout UNISON at all levels to ensure that all employers, including private sector employers adhere to the recommendations and their statutory duties under […]

Institutional Racism

University College London Branch (UCL) has been successful in persuading the employer to undertake an investigation into institutional racism. This was on the back of a number of disciplinaries affecting staff from ethnic minorities, perceived unfairness in allocation of duties and the so called glass ceiling in terms of promotion and career opportunities. The Branch […]