Conference applauds the dedicated work of public service workers throughout the country that has helped this country through a severe recession and provided a lifeline to countless families, businesses and individuals facing homelessness, bankruptcy, joblessness, poverty, or personal stress and poor health. Conference wishes to highlight again how crucial public services will be for supporting […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that alongside extra funding and improved levels of care, recent years have seen a continuation of government policies to extend the marketisation of the English NHS and to create a larger role for the private sector. It is highly likely that this trend will continue whatever the outcome of the 2010 general election. […]
Conference notes economists’ predictions that, after a year in which the UK economy shrank by more than five per cent, modest growth is expected for the first quarters of 2010. Unemployment (as measured by the International Labour Organisation) has reached 2.5 million and may continue to rise. Conference reiterates its condemnation of the financial system […]
Conference welcomes the fact that the issue of Palestine became a key international priority for the British trade union movement during 2009 following the unprecedented and disproportionate use of force by Israel against the people of Gaza. Conference notes the comprehensive policy on Palestine adopted by National Delegate Conference in 2009 and reiterates its support […]
Conference notes our own NJC campaign for better services and better jobs; that public spending is coming under further attack; and local government is bearing the brunt of these attacks. The union needs to mobilise to defend our members’ jobs and to protect services vital to our communities. Conference also notes the Public Works Campaign […]
Conference applauds Gordon Brown’s statement of commitment last year to the principle of the Tobin Tax and notes the immediate reaction from Boris Johnson in defence of an independent and greedy City which illustrated the determination of so many Tories to defend unfettered access to unlimited unearned income from the financial markets. The proposal to […]
The Philippines is becoming increasingly dangerous for trade unionists and labour activists. According to the International Trade Union Confederation’s Annual Survey of Trade Union rights violations, the Philippines is the most dangerous place in Asia to be a trade unionist. In 2008, 218 new cases of trade union and human rights violations involving almost 69,000 […]
Conference notes with concern that many employers have either introduced new draconian measures or have ‘tightened up’ existing procedures in an attempt to reduce rates of sickness absence. Many employers record, actively manage and pursue capability procedures against workers whose attendance is affected by illness. These measures often make little or no distinction between workers […]
Conference notes the changes to the NHS pension scheme and ill Health Retirement arrangements that have been in place since April 2008. Conference also notes there have been no extra groups of special classes for many years in the scheme, the last being Mental Health Officer status even though front line ambulance staff have campaigned […]
This Conference is concerned that government’s solution to the current recession is through cutting funding to health services is having a negative disproportionate impact on disabled employees. The evidence from the Disabled Members Self Organised Group is that disabled health staff are more vulnerable with regards to redundancy and employers are using false competency measures […]
Conference notes the importance of skill mix throughout the NHS workforce and by developing good workforce planning in Nursing and Allied Health Professional Services which delivers better, flexible patient care. However, replacing Bands 5, 6 and 7 Nursing and Allied Health Professional staff with Band 3-5 Clinical Support Worker, to reduce costs will only put […]
Conference notes that by the financial year 2013/14 the total amount of money to be repaid by NHS Trusts to PFI consortia will be £2.3 billion a year, with a total debt of £90 billion over the duration of the schemes. This increased pressure on valuable NHS resources will come at a time when the […]
Conference recognises and welcomes the ongoing campaign to gain recognition for cleaners in the NHS as part of the healthcare team. Initiatives such as the successful UNISON Cleaners Conference 2009 and Clean Hospitals Committees help raise the profile of Cleaners and demonstrate how they play an integral part in patient safety and care. UNISON sponsored […]
Conference broadly welcome the setting of some limits to the privatisation of NHS services set out in the Secretary of State’s speech to the Kings Fund in September 2009, and the agreement through the NHS Social Partnership Forum which followed. Conference is however concerned that a number of drivers towards privatisation such as the Framework […]
Conference notes the interest in reciprocal community unionism within UNISON and at the fringe meeting at last year’s health conference. Internationally, it has been persuasively argued that trade unions face a legitimacy crisis. There is a pressing need for our union to project an identity and mission that has an impact in communities beyond our […]