Conference is disappointed to learn that at the National Delegate Conference in Glasgow last June the Women’s Self-Organised Group (SOG) was the only SOG not to hold a caucus meeting. Conference wishes to remind the National Women’s Committee that caucuses are key political events at which the body of the SOG membership can: 1)recognise themselves […]
Conference motions
Conference notes with concern that many women on the receiving end of domestic abuse are not aware they can invoke a non-molestation order against the perpetrator. Molesting means harassing, pestering or interfering with you or your children in some way, and also includes assault. Assault can mean pushing, punching, slapping, throwing objects, spitting at you […]
The recent murder of Clare Bernal at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge highlights once again the failures of the criminal justice system in protecting women against male violence. Conference believes that until violence against women is given a priority by government and legislators, women such as Clare Bernal will continue to die needlessly at the hands […]
Conference notes that: 1)the number of part-time workers has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. There are now 7.3 million part-time workers in the United Kingdom and over three-quarters of them are women; 2)in UNISON about 40 percent of our women members work part-time; 3)women working part-time are earning on average 40 percent less […]
Conference commends the National Women’s Committee for the hard work it carries out throughout the year. Unfortunately, the National Women’s Committee is faced with an unrealistic workload. The tasks arising from the previous National Women’s Conference motions, together with valuable time spent planning and preparing for the next annual National Women’s Conference, are impracticable. Motions […]
The current proposals by the government and broadcasting agencies will see the ending of all analogue broadcasting in this country between 2006 and 2010 – digital TV will be imposed upon the whole population by 2012 at the latest. There is considerable concern that this may leave many elderly retired persons either with poor services […]
Conference considers that the present cost of utilities – electricity, gas and water charges, are disproportionate for pensioners whose income is limited. Conference believes that the best way to alleviate the effect of these charges upon pensioners is to fully restore the value of the state pension and the restoration of the earnings link to […]
The Prime Minister confirmed his commitment to improving employment rights in a speech at the TUC’s 2004 Congress. He said employers do not succeed by abusing employees (14 September 2004). The Prime Minister reaffirmed his position on a number of employment issues, confirming the government’s commitment to: 1)ensuring that people are able to exercise a […]
Conference notes that older women are often invisible in society and minimised by way of their contributions at work. Conference congratulates government in developing legislation to counter age discrimination and requires the National Women’s Committee to examine UNISON publications to ensure that a positive image of older women is generated through UNISON publications.
Conference is concerned that within many workplaces emails are generated that are sexist in nature and minimise the efforts of women as equals at work. Conference notes that views are often expressed through the medium of emails where they would not be expressed in person and are often derogatory or exclusionary of women and would, […]
Conference will be aware that community health councils have been replaced with various types of patients forums designed to give people a say in the way in which their local hospital provides services. But too often the voice of older people is not heard and their views and needs not taken into account adequately. Therefore […]
Following the election of a Labour government for a third term, Conference requests that the National Retired Members’ Committee work with UNISON Labour Link as appropriate to promote the following objectives: 1)restoration of the link between pensions and earnings; 2)personal care to be included in long term care of the elderly; 3)free concessionary travel for […]
UNISON retired members have long recognised the need for affordable and efficient public transport for older people. Conference welcomes the launch of UNISON’s charter for public transport. It stresses the need to re-regulate services to produce improvements and highlights the failure of privatisation with bus fares rising faster than inflation and faster than motoring costs. […]
Conference notes the increases in charges to attend classes for Lifelong Learning being proposed by the government. This will affect people on low pay and fixed incomes, especially pensioners. Any reduction in class attendance will result in class closures to the detriment of the students who attend for both academic, cultural and social stimulus. There […]
Conference notes with regret that some councils/social services are to stop daily deliveries of meals on wheels to senior citizens and vulnerable members of our communities. The service is to be replaced by a weekly delivery of frozen food packs. It is also proposed that anyone who does not have a microwave oven or freezer […]