COMP NDC A – AMENDMENT TO RULE D4 – SELF ORGANISED GROUPS

In Rule D.4.1.4 delete “lesbian and gay members” and substitute “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members”.

GENDER RECOGNITION ACT

Conference welcomes the passing of the Gender Recognition Act which received Royal Assent on 1 July 2004. Conference notes that it is expected that people will be able to start applying for Gender Recognition Certificates from Spring 2005. Conference recognises that this act will allow transsexual people to obtain recognition of their true gender, which […]

POLITICAL FUND BALLOT

By March 2005, UNISON is required by law to ballot the whole membership on whether or not we continue to have a political fund. The unique structure of the UNISON Political Fund allows members to choose to pay into the fund affiliated to the Labour Party and/or the fund for general political campaigns. Conference deplores […]

REPORTING HOMOPHOBIC CRIME

This Conference condemns the brutal murder of David Morley in the early hours of 31st October 2004. Conference is committed to the LGBT community being able to live our lives without the fear of violence. Conference congratulates Education Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) and the Metropolitan Police, Lewisham, for recognising the need of our community to […]

HOMOPHOBIC ATTACKS AND MURDERS

This Conference publicly deplores the horrendous murder of David Morley, aka Sinders, in the early hours of Sunday 31 October, 2004, on London’s South Bank, to what police described as a group of youths. David was a well loved and respected member of London’s lesbian and gay scene, and his murder has touched all of […]

Supporting the Carers

More action from both the government and employers is needed to help families balance work and caring responsibilities. the UK has an ageing population, a falling birth rate and increasing family breakdown. These factors, aswell as lesser mobility, leads to a loss of family networks for many. This means that more often women are simultaneously […]

Lifelong Learning and Women

Conference notes that women earn on average 82p for every £1 men earn. That part-time women workers earn 41p for every £1 full time men earn. That women are often segregated into the lowest paid, lowest status, jobs. Conference notes that the gender pay gap and workplace segregation can be attributed in part to the […]

Improving Access to Facility Time

According to UNISON figures, almost a quarter of UNISON reps are not given paid time off and a further fifth only receive one hour or less a week. It is likely that women activists bear the brunt of inadequate facility time because: 1)most facility time agreements are old and have not been adjusted to reflect […]

Equality for Part-Time Workers During Bank Holidays

UNISON members have continuously raised this issue, stating that the current position on part-time workers owing or gaining time off due to pro rata bank holidays is intolerable. As the situation stands, those part-time workers who work the beginning of the week are treated less favourably than those who work the latter, this is especially […]

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Group

Conference notes that: 1) following many years of informal discussion and several rounds of formal consultation within the lesbian and gay self-organised group, the 2003 Lesbian and Gay Conference agreed that the UNISON lesbian and gay group should be replaced by a UNISON lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group; 2)the necessary rule change from Lesbian […]

Think Before you Pink

Last year, Conference called for action which would raise the importance of trying to stop breast cancer before it starts. This is about more than having an adequate national screening programme that merely detects a disease which already exists. It is about funding research into why it is that one in every nine women in […]

Eating Disorders

Conference recognises that eating disorders are the most deadly of all mental illnesses, affecting mostly women and teenage girls, and is among the most difficult to treat. Eating disorders can have severe medical consequences including damaging effects on virtually every organ system including cardiac, reproductive, kidney and musculoskeletal. Suicide is also a major risk factor. […]

Sickness Absence

Conference notes with some concern the rising prevalence of employer policies dealing with managing sickness absence. Conference is concerned that these policies are implemented without proper negotiations with branches and, as a consequence, the policies perpetrate discrimination against women. Branches are often not properly trained or equipped to assist women when they are subject to […]

Mental Health and Wellbeing for Women in Work

Just over 280,000 people in Wales are being treated by their doctor for depression, 195,000 of those are women. These figures are dwarfed by the numbers of people across the UK are are being treated for depression, where three million people are in receipt of doctor support for depression, the overwhelming majority of these are […]

Double Disadvantage

Conference notes the research, conclusions, and recommendations of A Double Disadvantage? Minority Ethnic Women in Trade Unions. The research recommended: 1)mentoring of black activists by more experienced activists and officers – a very important and effective way to learn about the union and to develop skills; 2)support for networking, which is a crucial route into […]