Conference welcomes the Civil Partnership Bill, but believes it falls short of full equality. Conference therefore calls for the following: 1.Both marriage and Civil Partnership should be available to both same and opposite sex partners; 2.There should be legal recognition for same and opposite sex partners who are either unable or unwilling to register or […]
Conference motions
Conference welcomes how many branch and regional lesbian and gay groups devoted resources in the run-up to the June 10th elections to campaigning against the British National Party (BNP) and other fascist candidates. Conference notes the invaluable role of Searchlight providing research, training and publicity for this campaign and the role of Trades Union Congress […]
Conference welcomes the increased profile of lesbian and gay workplace issues in the work of many parts of our union, while acknowledging that there is still much to be done. Conference notes that since the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 came into force, advice on employment issues necessarily addresses bisexual workers as well as […]
In Standing Order 1.2, delete first sentence and replace with: ‘The Standing Orders may be changed by Conference approving, with a two-thirds majority of those people present and voting, a motion which has appeared on both the preliminary and final Conference agendas, except for motions from the Black and Disabled Members Caucuses, which may only […]
Conference notes with grave concern that in July 2000, Kent County Council banned the publishing, purchasing or distributing of material which “promote gay lifestyles” in its 600 schools, in anticipation of the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales. It is unfortunate that since the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales late […]
The 2002 Employment Act gave lifelong Learning Advisers and Union Learning Representatives the same statutory rights as Stewards and Health and Safety Representatives. During the same year, UNISON rolled out a Union Learning Fund project aimed at developing UNISON’s capacity to organise around learning via a network of well trained and supported learning advisers and […]
Conference notes that UNISON and its former partner unions have called for many years for peace with justice for the Palestinian people and for a solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict based upon international law including particularly: 1.Israeli withdrawal to the borders of 4 June 1967; 2.The right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their […]
In June 2004 the government was consulting on a white paper Fairness for All on the setting up of a commission for equality and human rights. This commission will replace existing equality bodies including theDisability Rights Commission. Conference notes that equality legislation is different for different groups (such as race, gender, disability, sexuality). In particular […]
UNISON is committed to achieving proportionality and fair representation at conferences and throughout its structures. Currently branches entitled to send larger delegations are obliged to maintain reserved seats for low paid members, young members and other under-represented groups. There are processes in place to ensure that this is monitored for women and black members. This […]