CHALLENGING RACISM DEFENDING PUBLIC SERVICES

Conference notes with deep concern new research by UNISON on the disproportionate impact of public service cuts on Black workers. This research, conducted as part of UNISON’s Challenging Racism in the Workplace and piloted in Greater London in November- December 2011 and results of which were analysed in January 2012 showed that Black women working […]

CUBA AS A ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN IN PUBLIC ROLES

Today only twenty two per cent of MPs in the House of Commons and twenty per cent of members of the House of Lords are women. Compare this with Cuba where women hold thirty five per cent of parliamentary seats in the Cuban National Assembly. Therefore Cuba ranks sixth out of one hundred and sixty […]

EQUALITY MONITORING

Conference on 2 September 2011 Eric Pickles, the Secretary for Communities and Local Government new guidance called ‘A fair deal for the community and voluntary sector’. The guidance states councils should not carry out equality questionnaires and use the money saved to fund the community and voluntary sector. They claim that the questions asked about […]

WOMEN AS CARERS

For many years women have been the main carers within the home for their children, disabled and elderly parents. Women have fought for the right to be recognised and to be treated as equal to men. Many workplaces now have policies in place to enable employees to take time off work to care for their […]

A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST THAT COULD SAVE LIVES

Last year’s conference motion on Ovarian Cancer would have been a wake up call to women members unware of the necessity of early detection of ovarian cancer for there to be any reasonable chance of effective treatment. To be told one has cancer is terrifying enough, but for those whose cancers have no immediate symptoms […]

TIME FOR A CHANGE

Conference acknowledges that UNISON publishes some valuable information and guidance material for branches, activists and members on a regular basis and on varying workplace issues and/or recruitment based materials. Yet conference believes that there is not enough UNISON material tailored specifically for women and that the design and format of existing publications for women sometimes […]

VARIABLE AND ZERO HOUR CONTRACTS AND THE THREAT TO WOMEN MEMBERS EMPLOYMENT

Conference will be aware that for some time we have been seeing in the public sector the increase in zero hours or permanent variable hours contracts, the majority of those being placed on such contracts are women. Sunderland Local Authority, in the Northern Region has been using variable contracts as a means of avoiding compulsory […]

WOMEN FRIENDLY WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

Every year at National Women’s Conference we come together to debate motions, to listen and learn from each other, develop and set UNISON policy and direction. We debate motions on all sorts of issues that affect the lives and work of women. In recent years for example delegates have debated motions about domestic abuse, about […]

WOMEN IN LIBYA

With the dramatic end of the Gaddafi regime, Libya has the chance for a different future, one that contains real freedoms and liberty for all its citizens and potentially many changes for the lives of Libyan women. Women have been significant in the struggle for a new and free Libya; taking to the streets in […]

LIGHTS OUT

In London 1684-1694 there was an important innovation. This was in the form of public street lighting and was part of a movement across Europe. It was an important innovation because it enabled business, leisure time and daily life to go beyond the confines of daylight hours which was previously bound by a curfew. Having […]

ACKNOWLEDGING AND SUPPORTING WOMEN ACTIVISTS IN THE ARAB SPRING

It is a sad truth that opportunities for capitalising on the success of union activity within the recent Arab uprisings have mostly been missed by the mainstream press. Some of you may have read, in tiny snippets, or in specialist media that unions have been a powerful element in generating the Arab Spring. In some […]

WOMEN AT RISK – THE DANGER OF CUTS TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SERVICES

Conference notes with concern that research published by the False Economy campaign in August 2011 showed that numerous support services for women were having their funding cut or withdrawn, according to data gathered from 265 Local Authorities in England. Services in other parts of the UK are similarly under threat. Research has demonstrated that there […]

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE – THE HIDDEN COST OF WOMEN’S POVERTY

Conference notes with concern the increasing numbers of looked after children in the UK. Since 2006 the number has increased by 13%, and continues to grow year on year. The reasons for children being looked after are complex, but they include abuse, neglect, parental substance abuse, disability and involvement in the youth justice system. Poverty, […]

THE DEVALUING AND EXCLUSION OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY

Conference notes that the coalition government’s measures to reduce the deficit are steadily undermining the hard-won gains of women in the workplace and in society: 1)At least 65% of public sector workers are women – cuts in public sector jobs, wages and services will therefore impact on women more than men; 2)Women’s unemployment is now […]

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – THE BATTLE FOR DECENT PENSIONS FOR WOMEN

Conference notes with concern that the proposed changes to public sector pension schemes and the state retirement age are disproportionately impacting on the lives of women. Women are already statistically more likely to have lower pensions, primarily due to time taken out of the workplace and part-time working to meet caring responsibilities, and low pay […]