Safe Staffing Levels

Conference notes the recurring theme in both the literature and the media of shortages of Registered Nursing Staff, appropriate skill mix and overall staffing levels and believes that the recent financial crisis has exposed the extent to which the NHS relies upon agency staff, bank staff and overtime – often unpaid – to carry out […]

Future Pay Determination in the NHS – an expanded pay review body

In the early 1980’s Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and other NHS staff took industrial action over pay. This action led to the creation of the Nurses and Other Health Professionals (Pay) Review Body which since its formation in 1984 has, in most years, recommended above inflation pay awards. Occupational Groups not covered by the Pay […]

Private Contractor Staff

Conference notes the ground-breaking deal made with the Government, NHS Employers, the Confederation of British Industry and the NHS Business Services Authority for Soft Facilities Management employees working for private contractors in October 2005. Following on from this similar agreements have been made in Scotland and Wales. The Joint Protocol began the process of raising […]

Privatisation of Administrative & Clerical Services – England

Conference is encouraged by the events of this past year, where UNISON has given its support to the NHS Logistics strike in September 2006, the NHS Together Lobby in November 2006 and also the Outsourcing Conference in December 2006. Conference congratulates the members from NHS Logistics for their show of solidarity during the month of […]

Social Enterprises

This Conference rejects the model of service provision encapsulated in the Social Enterprise concept and reaffirms its opposition to Social or Community Enterprises taking over NHS services and staff. Despite our opposition, the government has established a Social Enterprise Unit within the Dept of Health, and is promoting the setting up of such bodies to […]

Stop Privatisation and Marketisation of Our NHS

Conference is outraged that a Labour government is continuing to privatise NHS service and staff. Conference reaffirms our total opposition to the privation and marketisation of the NHS, in whatever from(such PFI and LIFT, use of the private sector to carry out NHS work, transfer of service to private sector ownership or management, Independent Sector […]

Challenging Racism: Challenging Islamaphobia

1.add additional final Para before “Conference asks” to read “The series of comments by MP’s such as Jack Straw and Phil Woolas on the nijab and Muslims gave a green light to media to initiate a vitriolic campaign against the Muslim community which led to racist attacks, 2.Point 2 – after the words “National Assembly […]

The Aquittal of BNP Leaders

The National Black Members’ Conference is disappointed by the decision of Leeds Crown Court to acquit Nick Griffin and Mark Collett on charges of incitement to racial hatred on 11 November 2006. Attacking Muslims and Islam in the way that the British National Party (BNP) does is racist and whips up hostility towards Muslims and […]

Black women members participation as Trade Union activists

Conference notes that recent trade union conferences have acknowledged that a working woman’s place is in her union and that UNISON should be committed to supporting those women who want to play an active part in trade union work. The North West Region has been working with Liverpool University and the Northern Ireland Region in […]

Black members’ Training schools for Black workers

Conference notes that we need to provide better access to Black members for a range of training but especially in relation to raising their political awareness. Many of the delegates to our National Black Members Conference have had limited if any opportunity to engage in political debate in terms of race; we don’t seem to […]

Katrina clear up probe

Conference notes that Cable News Network (CNN) news reported in May 2006 that almost $17m is being withheld by the state of Mississippi while authorities probe a ‘multitude of discrepancies’ in invoices that contractors submitted for the removal of debris from Hurricane Katrina. The state was forced to stop making payments in late April to […]

Opposing all slavery in the 21st centuary

Conference notes recent British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news reports on the growing number of child brides across the world, and the growth in abduction of children from their homes, as well as the problem of families ‘selling’ children to unscrupulous businessmen. It is clear that international laws are being ignored in some countries as they […]

No place for a Black child – child detentions

Conference notes the issue of immigration and asylum management is becoming even more of an issue for vulnerable children. As Black people we are disproportionately affected by all of the aspects of the ‘race’ motivated government approach to immigration and asylum. These children have committed no crime but are held behind locked doors and high […]

Health checks for Black workers and members

Conference notes there is a worrying increase in chronic health needs amongst Black workers across all our workplaces. Branches could quite easily provide access to health checks e.g. diabetes, blood pressure, sickle cell/thalassaemia and cholesterol levels at branch committee and Annual General Meetings (AGMs) to Black members. Conference believes this could also be a positive […]

Collective Bargaining

Conference notes there is a clear need for Black workers who are not active to become active in the trade union movement to do so in whatever way they can. Branches need to approach this by identifying issues of concern for all members in the workplace from a race perspective. Issues such as access to […]