Job Threats in the Police Services

The recent announcements from police forces within England and Wales regarding job losses are a threat to the membership of this union. The continued practice of cutting Police Staff posts to cover budgetary shortfalls is an outrage to our members and the public. The annual practice of threats to our member’s jobs and livelihoods, not […]

Regional Delegates to Police Staff Conference

Conferences note with disappointment the omission of Regional representation at this conference by virtue of the constitution of the Police Staff Service Group. This omission only came to light in September 2006 after Regions had registered delegates. The P1 “Appointment of Delegates” Form, included a section for the registration of Regional Delegates and has been […]

Local Authorities

In the 1980s, a handful of mostly urban Local Authorities recognised the ways in which Lesbians and Gay men were discriminated against, and they took initiatives to address this. There were moves towards community involvement, same-sex tenancies, changes in adoption and fostering policies, education schemes, symbolic moves such as flying the rainbow flag, and public […]

HIV/AIDS SERVICES

The recent “merger” of PHACE Scotland with the Terrance Higgins Trust (THT) has been met with alarm by the majority of HIV services within Scotland, only to be compounded by THT being awarded the Reachout Highland contract for service delivery in Northern Scotland. Such alarm was not engendered by an isolationist view of the respective […]

Goods and Services – Sexual Orientation Regulations

Conference expresses its concern following newspaper reports regarding the implementation and possible exemptions to the regulations outlawing discrimination in goods and services on the grounds of sexual orientation (Observer article 15th October 2006). Conference notes that there have been approximately 3,000 responses to the consultation ‘Getting Equal’, which has led to the implementation date being […]

Goods and Services – No Exceptions and No Exemptions

This conference is disappointed that the proposed Sexual Orientation (Goods & Services) Regulations will not be implemented from October 2006 as expected. Further, this conference is extremely concerned at reports in various parts of the media (e.g. Observer 15/10/06 and Guardian 16/10/06) that the delay is connected to issues of religious exemptions from the regulations; […]

TV Licences

Conference is totally opposed to the present situation in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals where pensioners, those persons over 60, are required to pay a daily subscription to enjoy television whilst a patient in a NHS hospital. We are aware that all patients have to subscribe but this is totally unfair to pensioners on fixed […]

Post Office Closures and Post Office Card Accounts

Conference notes that Ministers have announced that the Department for Work and Pensions will not extend the contract for the Post Office card account beyond 2010 despite the fact that 2.3 million pensioners use the card as a way of collecting their state pension. When the Government ended the use of pension books in 2003, […]

Pensions White Paper and Restoration of the Link

Conference notes that on May 25th 2006 the Government published a Pensions White Paper setting out how it planned to implement the recommendations of the Turner Report. The White Paper contains some positive proposals intended to increase the value of the state pension in the light of the decline of many occupational pensions and include […]

Amendment to Standing Order 3 – Motions and Amendments

Add new S3.5 Each motion shall contain no more than 500 words (except composites) and each amendment shall contain no more than 250 words

Amendment to Standing Order 1 – Application of Standing Order

In Standing Order 1.2, after “Black and Disabled Members’ Caucuses” insert “or Bisexual Members’ Caucus or Transgender Members’ Caucus”.

Charter for Change for LGBT Equality

Conference welcomes advances in legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. These include Gender Recognition and Civil Partnership, outlawing of sexual orientation discrimination in goods, facilities and services and the promised Single Equality Act, which should enact duties across all grounds to actively promote equality as well as combat discrimination. However, disadvantage and […]

Support for Members Undergoing Gender Reassignment

Conference welcomes the initial work undertaken by the Department of Health’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Advisory Group (SOGIAG) and the Scottish INCLUSION Project on the issue of gender identity in the NHS. Conference welcomes the increased profile of issues of concern facing transgendered communities but notes that trans people still face considerable hurdles in […]

TUC General Council Seats

Conference acknowledges the central importance that the TUC has in UNISON’s work with other British trade unions and the wider international trade union movement. Conference further acknowledges that the TUC has a central role in sharing and promoting best practice amongst affiliates and further notes the central importance of the TUC in promoting equality and […]

Amendment to Standing Order 3 – Motions and Amendments

In Standing Order 3.1, after “Disabled Members or Black Members Caucuses;”, insert “Bisexual Members Caucus or Transgender Members Caucus;”