New Ways of Working

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 […]

ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL TV SWITCHOVER

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 […]

OPTICAL AND DENTAL PROVISION

Conference recognises that ageing brings about the natural need for more optical and dental care. The costs of these essential services are constantly rising whilst pension increases lag well behind. Furthermore, dental care on the NHS is hardly available. More than five million pensioners are now subject to the means test for help to purchase […]

PENSIONS

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 […]

Flexible Working – Reality or Myth

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 […]

Championing the Cause of Older Women

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.

Emails and Male Mails at Work

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, […]

Lack of Visibility of Black Members: Attendace at UNISON’s Conferences

The North West Regional Black Members’ Group are concerned at the low and decreasing numbers of Black Members attending UNISON’s Conferences. It was noted in 2005 that the numbers of Black Members who attended; Women’s’ Conference, Health Conference, Local Government Conference, National Delegate Conference and all the Service Group Conferences held this year was significantly […]

Support for Members’ personal developments with the Health Service on knowledge and skills framework

Conference welcomes the provisions initiated by the government in introducing Knowledge and Skills Framework in the Health service. We consider the KSF provisions would provide opportunities for black member working at lower level within the NHS to develop their learning skills and career development within the Health Service. We call upon the National Black Members’ […]

Progress of Black members issues in UNISON

Black members remain increasingly concerned that certain repeat issues brought to National Black Members Conference for the NBMC and NEC to action on our behalf, remain unactioned. Members need only look at the range of repeat motions brought to conference to see that the repeat nature of the motions implies that Black members do not […]

Paid Black Officers

Conference is appalled at the lack of implementation of motion 202 passed at the 1997 national delegate conference despite opposition from the NEC. This motion called for paid black officers to be available in all regions in a similar way to the availability of Women’s Officers. Members note that despite the implementation of this motion […]

Race Equality Schemes

Conference notes the lack of implementation regarding Race Equality Schemes. Since 31 May 2005 organisations had to be compliant. Unfortunately little is being done to assess organistions to assess whether they are compliant or not. 1. We call upon the NBMC/NEC to liase with a) Service groups to monitor what is happening in branches; b) […]

Fair Representation and Proportionality

Conference remains concerned about the lack of uniformity from Regions and Branches in implementing Rule 1.4 of the rulebook. Conference also notes that UNISON has anti-discrimination policies which state that the principles of proportionality and fair representation shall be adhered to in the election of delegates and representatives. However, despite UNISON rules and anti-discrimination policies […]

Mapping of Black Members

Conference notes that successive reports commissioned by the TUC and government’s own statistics that confirm that Black workers continue to be concentrated in the lowest paid jobs. Conference further notes the increase in attacks against the Black communities following the tragic London bombing in July 05 and the BNP for its attempt to exploit the […]

Citizenship Rights

This Conference deplores the fact that children born in this country can be denied citizenship rights depending upon the nationality of their parents. We note that this disgraceful discrimination on grounds of nationality disproportionately disadvantages black and ethnic minority people and that an increasing number of young people have, for example, difficulty in obtaining passport […]