Conference is aware that Britain has one of the lowest state pensions in Europe and that 2.5 million older people are living below the poverty level. The trade union movement is understandably most concerned with improving occupational pensions, but the active support from UNISON and the Trades Union Congress is necessary for a successful campaign […]
Conference motions
Conference welcomes the decision of the National Retired Members’ Committee (NRMC) to offer retired member support to branches and regions in the recruitment of new members and in campaigning. Conference is concerned however that branches and regions for their part give full support to non-social retired member activity. The NRMC is instructed to request the […]
Conference notes the efforts of many branches and branch retired members’ groups to retain members when they retire but regrets to note the apparent lack of support, co-ordination and reporting to sustain these efforts. Conference believes a haphazard approach may lead to patchy results and may reproduce or exaggerate patterns of inclusion and exclusion among […]
Conference believes many retired UNISON members would like to make their wishes known concerning their medical treatment and/or their financial or other affairs at the end of their lives in case they become incapable of doing so at the time. Conference believes many of them would be glad if their trades union could signpost them […]
This Service Group Conference notes the Service Group Executive consultation exercise on the substantive structure of the new Police and Justice Service Group held between February and April 2011. Further to this consultation, Conference agrees the following substantive structures for the Police and Justice Service Group: Police and Justice Service Group Constitution 1 Regional Structures […]
Conference is concerned about the increase in tuition fees for all areas of post-16 education. This is not only means for younger people as many retired people make full use of these facilities. Increases in fees apply not only to universities and colleges but to adult education courses and providers such as the workers education […]
Mr Cameron pledged, “We can’t go on like this. I’ll cut the deficit, not the NHS”. The election manifesto stated, “We are the party of the NHS, we back its funding and have visions for its future.” In January 2011 he said “We recognise its special place in our society, so we will not cut […]
Retired Members will have noted with growing concern the government’s attack on both the state and public sector pension schemes. Not only are they constantly attacking the pensions in the media, but they are always doing their best to attack pension funds with statements about the public sector pensions being ‘gold plated’. If this is […]
This Conference calls upon the National Retried Members’ Committee to strongly pursue and campaign to make available, for older people, free dental inspections; the same service as is currently available for eye examinations and publicise progress in UNISON publications on a regular basis.
The latest reorganisations within several of the water companies seem to have turned the clock back and brought clean and waste water operatives working together and cross functioning across sites. This seems to us to be a backward step. The risk of contamination to workers and the public was a major reason why these streams […]
Because of how the Water Companies are funded by OFWAT whose priority is value for money for the consumer and also the companies adopting risk-based strategies in order to deliver maximum profits for their owners, very little money is spent on maintaining our assets. Customer pressure groups objecting to high profits and increasing bills compound […]
Conference notes that the Equality Act 2010 harmonised former equality legislation – the Sex Discrimination Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Race Relations (amendment) Act and related legislation. Although the 2010 Act failed to meet the aspirations of many interested parties, including UNISON, there are significant benefits for employees and public sector services. However, […]
Conference notes that registered nurses have an obligation under the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) Code of Conduct to formally raise any concerns they have about patient safety. This is also incorporated into the NHS Constitution (England). We also note the importance of raising concerns about poor standards of patient care, in the wake of […]
This Conference believes that proper training and development opportunities are essential for all those working for the NHS, regardless of what function they perform, if it is to maintain the standards crucial to the care of patients. For young staff, particularly those working in ancillary and administrative roles, looking to having careers in the NHS […]
Conference believes that the greatest test of the effectiveness of social partnership between governments, employers and trade unions is whether it can deliver real gains for staff and patients in difficult times. Conference recognises that, since 1997, partnership working has delivered real benefits for NHS staff and helped improve patient care, in all four countries […]