This Conference notes that the consultation process involving STPs and representative organisations for older people is, to say the least, patchy. In some areas of the country STPs are failing to consult or engage with organisations that represent older people and crucial services are either being introduced or withdrawn without due process taking place. Needs […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the view of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum that the Financial Reporting Council has been too cosy with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Big Four accountancy firms. This is set against a background of growing concerns about the state of the accounting and auditing professions after a string of […]
Conference notes with alarm the disproportionate effect on older people with dementia of inadequate and deteriorating provision of Social care and health services for example: 1) Research has found that older people with dementia are largely the ones using hospital A& E Services or being admitted because of poor or unavailable social care provision; 2) […]
This Conference endorses UNISON’s Retired Members’ policy to promote Powers of Attorney to safeguard older persons’ interests in the event of them becoming unable to handle their own affairs. When there is a dispute or misunderstanding between the two or more people holding the Power of Attorney or between the Attorney and the donor , […]
This conference notes the media constantly bombard us with reports of the ageing population and the increasing strain this is putting on our public services. What gets no coverage at all is the difficulties, for the individual and their nearest and dearest, if they are unable to manage their own affairs. The solution to these […]
Conference broadly welcomes UNISON’s national initiative to reduce the environmental impact of our conferences by lessening the amount of paper used to provide delegates’ information. However it must be remembered that many retired members are not computer literate and do not have their own IT equipment – or access to any other such equipment except […]
“Conference notes that: 1)Rule D7.5 does not describe the Branch Retired Members’ Secretary (BRMS), plainly, as a member of the Branch Committee, rather it says BRMS “may attend and speak at all (its) meetings as determined by the Branch Committee rules …”; and, 2. This formulation is not used for any other member of the […]
“Conference congratulates the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Midlands Region Pensioners’ Network on its ‘bus tour’ of the Midlands between 7th and 21st April this year to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme. Working with a range of local partners who included retired members of at least thirteen UNISON branches […]
The National Insurance scheme as established in 1948 to provide unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, retirement pension and various other benefits to employees and pensioners in the UK. Employed people who have not reached state retirement pension age and their employers contribute to the scheme through @National Insurance Contributions’ (NICs), which are based on a percentage […]
Conference notes: 1)By the end of 2017, members in Higher Education will have lost the equivalent of one fifth of their pay since 2009/10. 2)At the same time, Senior Managers have seen their salaries consistently increase above the rate of inflation, with twenty-three Vice Chancellors taking an increase of 10% or more last year. Conference […]
The last general election saw thousands of young people registering to vote for the very first time. Youth engagement with politics led to a change in the political landscape. Subsequent debates amongst MPs has shown them that the issues important to them will be taken up by politicians when there is strength in numbers. While […]
Colleagues may recall the lacklustre support by the UK Universities for any position during the Brexit Referendum despite UNISON’s call to Vice Chancellors (VCs) to take a position to support EU staff and students. There are 45,000 EU citizens working in the Higher Education sector in the UK (11% of the Higher Education (HE) workforce) […]
Conference welcomes the high level of engagement of Higher Education (HE) members in UNISON’s second equality survey, conducted summer 2017, which gives useful insight into their experiences and involvement in UNISON. Conference also notes the responses from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members (LGBT), which reinforce the findings from the 2016 survey that LGBT members […]
Our political landscape has become dominated by the referendum decision to leave the European Union. Whatever the specific position in January 2018, there are particular principles which will defend the rights and freedoms of both UK and EU nationals working in Higher Education (HE). At the time of writing we have not seen full details […]
1)UNISON has a proud history of international solidarity and supporting our members in HE to create a welcoming atmosphere for international students from around the world. 2)UNISON is affiliated to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) and has been since 2002. 3)CSC is campaigning against a recent decision by the Open University (OU) to allegedly bar […]