Conference notes that Domestic Abuse is a workplace issue – with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men reporting domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime. Conference notes domestic abuse is estimated to cost workplaces national £1.9 billion per year. Conference notes that domestic abuse can have a highly negative impact on […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that in the wake of the final session of COP26 on Nov 12th which occurred after the closing date for motions to this conference, our world still faces a challenge bigger than anything we have ever encountered before. Conference notes that the watered-down deal made at COP26 does not go far enough and […]
Conference notes that the Government’s Disability Strategy was published on 27 July. This followed a period of public consultation via an online survey which has been much criticised. The Government failed to properly consult with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s) and this is currently subject to legal challenge. Consequently, the strategy has received criticism and been […]
Conference notes that in the past two years through a confluence of multiple crises including a global pandemic, a massive shift in the economy, and rising unjust violence against the Black Community, that Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Plus (LGBT+) young people everywhere faced issues that changed their lives. Unfortunately, we’ve seen these issues negatively impact […]
We are at a defining moment when it comes to climate change. Its impacts are global in scope and unparalleled. Climate change will affect every one of us on the planet, but its effects will not be the same for all. Greta Thunberg’s school strikes and climate strikes supported by the Trade Union movement are […]
Conference notes that even before the pandemic mental health and stress at work were among the leading issues raised by young workers. Conference notes that the pandemic has only exacerbated young workers’ concerns about mental health, whether that is due to working in stressful conditions on the front line, or due to isolation from friends, […]
Conference notes the shocking figures reported in April 2021 showing that of those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, almost 80% were aged under 35. Conference further notes the July 2020 study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which found that “the COVID-19 pandemic has severely dented the career prospects of young people […]
In 2019/20, there were 719,000 people participating in an apprenticeship in England, with 322,500 apprenticeship starts and 146,900 apprenticeship achievements. The NHS alone currently has 14,000 apprentices. In spite of these high numbers, union membership amongst apprentices remains very low There is often a great misunderstanding of apprentices. A common assumption is that apprentices are […]
This Conference denounces the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on young workers’ wellbeing and work/life balance, specifically with regard to the Right to Disconnect. This Conference notes that the Right to Disconnect is the ability to not engage in work-related electronic communications such as e-mails or messages during non-work hours. The Conference […]
Conference is concerned that the recent pandemic, poorly funded local authorities and the government’s proposals to reform planning are combining to make hopes of better access for disabled people a distant dream. As the country started to reopen after the first lockdown local councils were told to do whatever was needed to help kickstart the […]
Conference notes that the Equality Act 2010 has now been in place for over 10 years and despite both the House of Lords and the United Nations stating that it fails disabled people there are still no plans for a review. Since it’s implementation the world has changed significantly with COVID being just one major […]
Conference is concerned that 60% of all people who have died from COVID were disabled and nearly half a million people have had long COVID for over a year, yet the government have not issued any guidance on supporting disabled people at risk of COVID once restrictions have ended. So called Freedom Day could almost […]
Conference is concerned to hear that a forum established by Justin Tomlinson, the Minister for Disabled People, to ‘bring the voices and expertise of disabled people into the heart of government policy making’ appears to have been shut down amid concerns that the government will launch their long awaited Disability Strategy without any meaningful consultation […]
Conference notes that disabled women face barriers to participation in our union, in the workplace and in society. Over one million of our members are women and a large proportion of these are disabled. Although UNISON has rules about gender proportionality which mean, for example, that where there are two seats at least one must […]
Conference notes that an unfortunate and unwelcome result of the national lockdown has been a reported increase in domestic abuse and domestic violence. Often isolated and shut off from previous support networks, victims can struggle to access support or alert others to their situation. Perpetrators of domestic abuse have been able to use the restrictions […]