Pre-Budget Report

Conference notes the pre-budget report of the Chancellor and welcomes the fact that public spending up to 2008 has been maintained as planned and that the taxation shortfall due to lower economic growth has been plugged with greater taxation of North Sea oil companies. Public sector jobs are due to grow by about 250,000 as […]

Amendments to Pay Consultation Procedures

This Conference agrees to the following amendments to the Pay Consultation Procedures agreed by the 2002 Local Government Service Group Conference: 8e – Regions – Add after first sentence – “Regions shall be encouraged to hold delegate meetings for branches covered by the pay offer, in order to debate the proposals and how to encourage […]

The Disability Equality Duty and Local Government

This Local Government Conference welcomes the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 which will impose a new Disability Equality Duty on local authorities from December 2006. We believe these duties could help reconstruct a barrier free society and provide equality of opportunity for the millions of disabled people who are in work or wanting work in local […]

Offshoring

Conference notes that the private companies’ policy of offshoring “back office” functions to developing nations is spreading to the public sector. Already public sector bodies are considering offshoring in response to the demands of efficiency reviews and the pressure to modernise service delivery. Conference does not accept that offshoring aspects of public service functions will […]

European Union Services Directive

Conference condemns the proposed European Union Directive on Services and the support given to it by the British government. Conference believes that the Directive is a direct attack on public services and employment and collective bargaining rights. Conference further believes that the Directive will undermine, by liberalisation and market competition, public health, public security, the […]

Children’s and Young People’s Services

Conference notes the continued prevalence of bi-, homo- and trans-phobic bullying among children and young people and the continued absence, largely, of a positive image of Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals and Trans (LGBT) people from children’s and young people’s services. Conference believes that all schools, playgrounds, youth clubs, children’s homes etc. should be safe and […]

Positively Promoting Disability Equality

This Conference notes: 1)That since 2001, all public bodies have – with the passing of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 – a legal duty to positively promoted race equality. This mandate applies to all bodies operating in the Local Government Service Group who provide services to the public; 2)That from 5 December 2005, the […]

Screening of Blood Donors

Conference notes that the purpose of the blood services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood. Screening of blood donors for HIV is necessary for the safety of the blood supply because the available tests for screening donated blood for HIV are not infallible, it […]

Monitoring of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity by Employers

Conference welcomes the growing recognition of the need to combat discrimination against LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) workers and the agreements reached with some employers to integrate work towards LGBT equality into their equality programmes. Conference notes that the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 introduced a requirement on public authorities to monitor workers’ ethnicity, […]