Supporting Our Members

During this credit crunch we are yet again seeing jobs disappear in our sector despite economic downturns having little detrimental impact on our business. Thames Water and the disgraceful treatment of its call centre staff is the latest example of an employer attempting to hike up already obscene profits. Conference is also appalled over the […]

Communicating with LGBT Members

Conference notes that continuing levels of prejudice and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers means that a high proportion do not reveal their sexual orientation or gender history at work, there are also private individuals who consider their sexual orientation or gender history to be no one else’s business but their […]

LOCAL YET GLOBAL – SUPPORTING OUR SISTERS OVERSEAS

We remember Thabitha Khumalo from Zimbabwe who as a guest speaker at 2006 National Delegate Conference gave an inspirational speech about the struggles for basic rights that women face in her country. Every year at National Women’s Conference motions are proposed and carried supporting our sisters overseas. In recent years, Conference has supported women of […]

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Conference recognises that the issue of violence against women is something that many women feel passionately about tackling. Women who are not politically active in other ways attend Reclaim the Night events or support local refuges. Therefore this issue should be used as not only a campaigning issue but an organising one as well. There […]

PREGNANT WOMEN AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

This National Women’s Conference is concerned at the impact that substance abuse can have on pregnant women and their babies. Substances that can affect the foetus are: 1)Cannabis 2)Heroin 3)Methadone 4)Cocaine 5)Crack cocaine 6)Crystal methamphetamine 7)Prescription drugs 8)Nicotine 9)Alcohol Education on the hazards of misusing substances during pregnancy is urgently required and the Government should […]

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Domestic violence continues to be a matter of concern to women in UNISON. Despite the fact that there have been many motions to the National Women’s Conference on this issue there are still many of our employers who do not have domestic violence policies for their own staff. Given the increase in the use of […]

THE INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY

Conference notes that The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) is a new public body which is being created with the intention of preventing unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults. From October 2009, all individuals working or volunteering with vulnerable adults or children will be required to register with the ISA. This will affect […]

RAPE CRISIS

Conference applauds the National Women’s Committee for its previously undertaken work on sexual violence and the conference policy decisions to support the work of Rape Crisis. However there is much still to do. Conference believes that rape crisis centres are essential and distinctly different in their role to the government created Sexual Assault Referral Centres […]

MILLION WOMEN RISE AGAIN

Conference congratulates the Million Women Rise Coalition (MWRC) on the success of the 2008 march and rally which saw over 5,000 women and girls gathered in London to protest male violence against women and endemic gender discrimination. The rally was addressed by a range of inspiring speakers from across the country, representing a broad spectrum […]

OVARIAN CANCER

Ovarian cancer is still the fourth most common cause of death from cancer amongst women in the UK. Every year about six thousand women in the UK are diagnosed with this disease, the majority of these cases only have a few symptoms, which are treated as other illnesses until finally being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. […]