Domestic Violence

Conference is concerned that it is still not widely known that domestic violence accounts for at least 25 per cent of all violent crime, that one in four women will experience domestic violence at some time in their lives, and that every week at least two women will be killed by violent partners or ex-partners. […]

Return to Work following Childbirth

A law is already in place to ensure that women have the right to return to work after maternity leave. All too often, women are returning to work to find their job role has changed, their responsibilities and even their workplace. Although against current regulations, opportunities to return to their previous work are often denied […]

Work Life Balance

Conference welcomes campaigning materials produced by the National Women’s Committee on work life balance and flexible working. Unfortunately, Conference must also note that the application and interpretation of work life balance has been very different between and within organisations, to the detriment of women. Conference recognises that many employers do not encourage job sharing, or […]

Women and Pensions

Conference recognises that changes to the state pension system in recent years in terms of contributions, retirement age and earnings on which pensions are based puts women at an unfair disadvantage. The existing state pension alone is insufficient to provide for basic needs and requires a large number of recipients to undergo the humiliation of […]

Recruitment and Organisation

Conference has previously noted that: 1)many women members are unaware of the opportunities open to them within UNISON; 2)not all branches are able to establish and maintain women’s groups; 3)women still face discrimination and barriers to involvement in the work of the union. Conference also recognises that Composite A, agreed at National Delegate Conference 2004, […]

Supporting the Carers

More action from both the government and employers is needed to help families balance work and caring responsibilities. the UK has an ageing population, a falling birth rate and increasing family breakdown. These factors, aswell as lesser mobility, leads to a loss of family networks for many. This means that more often women are simultaneously […]

Lifelong Learning and Women

Conference notes that women earn on average 82p for every £1 men earn. That part-time women workers earn 41p for every £1 full time men earn. That women are often segregated into the lowest paid, lowest status, jobs. Conference notes that the gender pay gap and workplace segregation can be attributed in part to the […]

Equality for Part-Time Workers During Bank Holidays

UNISON members have continuously raised this issue, stating that the current position on part-time workers owing or gaining time off due to pro rata bank holidays is intolerable. As the situation stands, those part-time workers who work the beginning of the week are treated less favourably than those who work the latter, this is especially […]

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Group

Conference notes that: 1) following many years of informal discussion and several rounds of formal consultation within the lesbian and gay self-organised group, the 2003 Lesbian and Gay Conference agreed that the UNISON lesbian and gay group should be replaced by a UNISON lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group; 2)the necessary rule change from Lesbian […]

Think Before you Pink

Last year, Conference called for action which would raise the importance of trying to stop breast cancer before it starts. This is about more than having an adequate national screening programme that merely detects a disease which already exists. It is about funding research into why it is that one in every nine women in […]

Eating Disorders

Conference recognises that eating disorders are the most deadly of all mental illnesses, affecting mostly women and teenage girls, and is among the most difficult to treat. Eating disorders can have severe medical consequences including damaging effects on virtually every organ system including cardiac, reproductive, kidney and musculoskeletal. Suicide is also a major risk factor. […]

Mental Health and Wellbeing for Women in Work

Just over 280,000 people in Wales are being treated by their doctor for depression, 195,000 of those are women. These figures are dwarfed by the numbers of people across the UK are are being treated for depression, where three million people are in receipt of doctor support for depression, the overwhelming majority of these are […]

Double Disadvantage

Conference notes the research, conclusions, and recommendations of A Double Disadvantage? Minority Ethnic Women in Trade Unions. The research recommended: 1)mentoring of black activists by more experienced activists and officers – a very important and effective way to learn about the union and to develop skills; 2)support for networking, which is a crucial route into […]

Women and Work Commission

In autumn 2004, the Prime Minister established a Women and Work Commission to look at how men’s and women’s education and skills affect which jobs they can get; promotion and career progression; women’s experiences in the job market, before and after having children and women’s differing experiences of working either full time and part-time. All […]

Homelessness

Conference is concerned that throughout their lives issues related to homelessness disproportionately affect women. Conference recognises that homelessness is not merely a question of a roof over a woman’s head but reflects a woman’s right to control where and how she chooses to live. For young women this can be due to family circumstances including […]