Utilities V Pensions

Once again, this vital issue is being raised at this Conference. Pensioners across the country are now facing yet again massive increases in utility bills. The increases in occupational and Government pensions do not meet the increases imposed by the utilities. This Conference instructs the National Retired Members Committee and calls on the National Executive […]

Adult Learning

Conference condemns the decision to remove the entitlement to concessions for pensioners attending day and evening classes other than for those in receipt of pensions credit. For many decades all pensioners could access day and evening classes either free or at a nominal cost. This allowed many people who had not previously had access to […]

Toilets

Conference calls upon the National Executive Council and the National Retired Members’ Committee to pressurise local authorities to stop the closure of public conveniences, as this particularly affects the older people and the disabled. Provision of toilets should be a statutory requirement for local authorities.

Annual Report

National Retired Members Conference is to be congratulated on producing the Annual Report for questioning by members in advance of the National Retired Members Conference. However, the time scale for questioning in 2006 was inadequate. There does not appear to be any reason why the Annual Report is not circulated to retired members in June. […]

Homecare Services

Conference notes with despair the continuing outsourcing of local authority services. Many of the services have a direct effect upon retired members. The latest services currently being targeted for privatisation is homecare. Retired citizens are the major users of this service. Conference therefore , whilst congratulating UNISON on its Save Our Homecare Services Campaign which […]

Challenging Racism: Challenging Islamaphobia

1.add additional final Para before “Conference asks” to read “The series of comments by MP’s such as Jack Straw and Phil Woolas on the nijab and Muslims gave a green light to media to initiate a vitriolic campaign against the Muslim community which led to racist attacks, 2.Point 2 – after the words “National Assembly […]

The Aquittal of BNP Leaders

The National Black Members’ Conference is disappointed by the decision of Leeds Crown Court to acquit Nick Griffin and Mark Collett on charges of incitement to racial hatred on 11 November 2006. Attacking Muslims and Islam in the way that the British National Party (BNP) does is racist and whips up hostility towards Muslims and […]

Black women members participation as Trade Union activists

Conference notes that recent trade union conferences have acknowledged that a working woman’s place is in her union and that UNISON should be committed to supporting those women who want to play an active part in trade union work. The North West Region has been working with Liverpool University and the Northern Ireland Region in […]

Black members’ Training schools for Black workers

Conference notes that we need to provide better access to Black members for a range of training but especially in relation to raising their political awareness. Many of the delegates to our National Black Members Conference have had limited if any opportunity to engage in political debate in terms of race; we don’t seem to […]

Katrina clear up probe

Conference notes that Cable News Network (CNN) news reported in May 2006 that almost $17m is being withheld by the state of Mississippi while authorities probe a ‘multitude of discrepancies’ in invoices that contractors submitted for the removal of debris from Hurricane Katrina. The state was forced to stop making payments in late April to […]

Opposing all slavery in the 21st centuary

Conference notes recent British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news reports on the growing number of child brides across the world, and the growth in abduction of children from their homes, as well as the problem of families ‘selling’ children to unscrupulous businessmen. It is clear that international laws are being ignored in some countries as they […]

No place for a Black child – child detentions

Conference notes the issue of immigration and asylum management is becoming even more of an issue for vulnerable children. As Black people we are disproportionately affected by all of the aspects of the ‘race’ motivated government approach to immigration and asylum. These children have committed no crime but are held behind locked doors and high […]

Health checks for Black workers and members

Conference notes there is a worrying increase in chronic health needs amongst Black workers across all our workplaces. Branches could quite easily provide access to health checks e.g. diabetes, blood pressure, sickle cell/thalassaemia and cholesterol levels at branch committee and Annual General Meetings (AGMs) to Black members. Conference believes this could also be a positive […]

Collective Bargaining

Conference notes there is a clear need for Black workers who are not active to become active in the trade union movement to do so in whatever way they can. Branches need to approach this by identifying issues of concern for all members in the workplace from a race perspective. Issues such as access to […]

Bully Brother

National Black Members’ Committee (NBMC) is appalled at Channel 4’s manipulation of the current Celebrity Big Brother programme. NBMC is concerned that the blatant flaunting of racism and bullying of Shilpa by her housemates Jade, Danielle and Jo is totally unacceptable and has no place in the 21st Century. Channel 4 views itself as being […]