ABUSE OF BAND 4 ASSOCIATE PRACTITIONERS

Conference notes with dismay how band 4 Associate Practitioners are being abused in some of our NHS hospitals and departments. This role of Associate Practitioner was introduced to utilise the experience of HCAs giving them the opportunity to progress in the workplace and means for the NHS to overcome future shortages in the nursing workforce […]

SICKNESS ABSENCE IN THE NHS

Conference notes the potential for lack of funding in healthcare and other associated Organisations, due to the broad financial restraints, which will impact upon and cut across all public sector budgets. Large employing organisations are required by Health and Safety law to work with recognised UNISON Health and Safety Officers to reduce the burden of […]

HIV HAS NOT GONE AWAY

This conference notes from the HIV & AIDS in the North West of England 2008 Report, that there has been an increase of 13 % of people newly diagnosed with HIV in the North West between 2007 and 2008. For the same period, there is a 24% increase in Lancashire. Overall there has been an […]

WORKING WITH OTHER PROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE ORGANISATIONS

This conference notes the Health Service Group Executive (HSGE) proposals within the UNISON structures review. To further the proposed changes and maximise the potential for occupational networks to influence the professional agenda in health, conference calls on the HSGE to draft a model for partnership working with existing professional bodies in healthcare encompassing: ·Administrative and […]

EQUALITY IN HEALTHCARE REGULATORY REGISTRATION FEES

This conference is concerned at the different and varied rates charged to registrants by health professional regulatory bodies for essentially the same service. Further, conference notes that none of these bodies have a system of pro-rata registration fees for part-time health workers nor a system based on affordability to pay. As health regulation spreads across […]

KEEP AMBULANCE SERVICES IN THE NHS

This conference has major concerns over Ambulance trusts using inappropriate methods in responding to 999 calls including: ·Excessive deployment of Community Responders ·Use of the unregulated voluntary and private sector. The concept of Community or First Responders was initiated to widen the availability of early defibrillation in immediately life threatening situations in areas that were […]

INCREASING THE ATTENDANCE OF BLACK MEMBERS AT NATIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE

The number of Black Members attending National Delegates Conference is significantly low. Often Black Members in our branches are not aware or provided the opportunity to attend National Delegate Conference, despite UNISON having rules on proportionality and fair representation. Currently National Black Members Committee mandates 2 members to attend NDC in line with their constitution. […]

SUPPORT FOR EFFECTIVE EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

NBMC welcomes the Government’s commitment to introduce new in the Equality Bill. UNISON Black members have experienced the full effects of the recession and have felt its significant impact within the workplace especially in terms of reduction of staffing in key positions roles and services. The new bill has a few key elements that impact […]

FIGHT AGAINST THE BNP

Conference notes the rise of the far right in Europe. Conference is appalled that two BNP members have been elected as MEP’s in Britain. The economic recession is leading to a further rise in racism and in attacks on the asylum and refugee community, especially in the run up to the General Election. We must […]

SECTION 44 STOP AND SEARCH

It has been reported in the media (BBC London News 6.6.09) that the Metropolitan Police Service in 2008 had stopped 170,000 people which led to only 65 arrests under the Government’s stop and Search Act. This statement if true is disgraceful and needs to be placed in some sort of context. UNISON has long been […]

UNITED NATIONAL DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE (WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM)

This conference welcomes the long awaited review of the United Nations (UN) Durban World Conference Against Racism took place in Geneva from 20th to 24th April 2009. The conference news was dominated by the absence of “key” countries such as America, Canada and Australia and the “controversial” speech by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian Prime Minister […]

THE SINGLE EQUALITY BILL

We recognise and welcome the Single Equality Bill which will change Discrimination Legislation in important ways. We recognise the significance of the clause on positive action and measures to redress historic discrimination in the recruitment and promotion of Black and other discriminated groups. However this Bill provides an opportunity to go beyond monitoring statistics and […]

BLACK NEC SEATS SHOULD BE ELECTED BY BLACK MEMBERS

This conference would like to raise the issue of the current process of electing Black NEC members to the reserved Black seats. Presently this process is open to the whole membership of our union. We believe that any election to these seats should only be voted on by Black members as the seats are for […]

RECORDING ETHNIC ORIGIN DATA ON THE RMS

This conference notes that the RMS system still does not record data on the ethnic origins of all our members. Information is collected on members joining branches, however a member could change job in their workplace and never complete a membership update form. In order to have accurate records on the ethnic origins of all […]

NATIONAL SLAVERY MEMORIAL DAY

UNISON was actively instrumental in winning August 23 as the National Slavery Memorial Day in 2007. However the response of our union in leading and organising Black workers and others to commemorate this day has been very low key or in some cases non-existent. The union must commit to a regionally supported event and an […]