Conference notes that just prior to the Special Conference on Agenda for Change the Government announced £30 million would be made available to support the funding of back-fill for union activists to enable us to implement it properly. This was then clarified as being £15 million in 2004/5 and £15 million in 2005/6. Facility time […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the success of the Overseas Nurses Network in Scotland and therefore should seriously consider the setting up of an Overseas Nurses Network in England and Wales and an Overseas Nurses Network in Northern Ireland, thus emulating the good practise of our brothers and sisters in Scottish UNISON. Such a formation of Overseas Nurses […]
Last year’s health conference called for a halt to Department of Health’s (England) National Decontamination Strategy until full consultation had taken place with UNISON and other trade unions. It is clear that there has been no meaningful consultation and the Government and Department of Health are intent on pressing ahead with a strategy of privatisation […]
This Conference is extremely concerned at the lack of support and help given to staff who has suffered from mental illness problems which have occurred due to the nature of their work. Many of our members suffer mental health problems through attacks by patients this leaves them traumatised, frightened and sometimes mentally scared for life. […]
Conference notes that ‘recycling’ money, annual ‘efficiency savings’, ‘top-slicing’ for different purposes, ‘brokerage’ and multiple announcements of the same pots of new money have long been features of Government funding of the NHS. Making sense of the direct funding of individual Trusts has become a nightmare, even before variable, activity-based funding and PFI contracts are […]
Conference notes the issue of Student Visas to overseas nurses by British Embassies in various overseas countries, these applications in the main are being submitted by British Embassies by Agents who’s ethics are questionable. In most cases the applicant is being charged huge fees to have these applications processed by the Agents. Recruitment Agencies have […]
Conference notes the continued recruitment of Overseas Nurses and Carers into the Healthcare Sector of the United Kingdom and in particular those recruited to work in the Private Healthcare Sector. UNISON has been at the forefront of many initiatives to highlight the exploitation of overseas nurses, and a number of helpful initiatives have emerged. Despite […]
There have been a number of examples where management at Trust level have sought to undermine the “Partnership” arrangements for the implementation of AfC. This has led to a number of Staff Sides being excluded from negotiations on implementation of AfC. There have also been a number of examples where Trust’s have refused to implement […]
This conference notes that under the Agenda for Change Agreement, Cost of Living Supplements (COLS) are to be “re-expressed” as long-term Recruitment and Retention Premia. This measure simply perpetuates the fundamental injustice of COLS, which were introduced without negotiation in 2001, payable to nurses and other health professionals in some areas, but not paid to […]
This Conference condemns the New Labour Government for its slice by slice privatisation of the NHS. In contrast with the extremely limited concessions on workers rights in the so called “Warwick Agreement”, New Labour has continued full steam ahead towards it’s goal of the full privatisation of the service. The latest gifts to big business […]
This branch calls upon the Service Group Executive to prepare further guidance and advice over the issue of collective responsibility of SGE Members.
This Conference recognises the enormous amount of work from both partners in agreeing the Terms and Conditions Handbook for Agenda for Change. Much has been done to modernise and harmonise agreements. However as previously indicated in the proposed agreement a number of former national agreements will now need to be agreed at a local level. […]
This Conference supports UNISON’s anti-racist strategy and recommends that all lay and full-time activists on regional and national committees receive training around the strategy and it’s implications. Composite F passed at the 2004 health conference outlined how UNISON health branches could use the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to ensure employers are complying with their […]
Conference notes that the Agenda for Change proposals were accepted in the ballot of UNISON members and are now being implemented. Acceptance and implementation do not mark the end of the process of negotiations on new terms and conditions and pay structure but only an interim stage. Conference affirms that UNISON regards Agenda for Change […]
Conference reaffirms its commitment to a 35 hour week. It notes that the main reason for Agenda for Change terms being 37 ½ hours is due to the shortage of nurses. As a consequence of this the agency bill for the NHS is outrageously enormous. Conference accepts that the Government has made some progress in […]