Conference notes that the government is determined to introduce still another round of asylum/immigration legislation that will further restrict refugee rights, having already announced dramatic cuts in legal aid for asylum cases. Features of the forthcoming legislation will include: 1)added restrictions on the right to appeal negative decisions, with little or no access to higher […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that young lesbians and gay men are six times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. They are also more likely to succeed, so they account for over half of actual youth suicide in the UK. Conference therefore welcomes the repeal of Section 28 as the single most effective step to […]
We call upon Conference to adopt this motion to press for the inclusion of the recognition of stress to be included in regulation 3(1)(a) of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The main problems are that under the current legislation there are no laws that recognise work-related stress as an illness. […]
Conference welcomes the government’s employment rights bill 2003 but believes that it does not go far enough, leaving workers in Britain with less protection than those employed in the rest of Europe. We welcome those provisions that build on the Employment Rights Act of 1999, improving the process of recognition and establishing important and consultation […]
Conference notes with concern: 1)the number of our low paid members in front line public service jobs who have their employment terminated on the grounds of incapacity; 2)that conditions affecting those members, such as vibration white finger, cervical spondylitis, carpel tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow are invariably caused by the nature of the job involving […]
Conference notes with concern the increasing number of local authority elderly person’s homes which have transferred with the transfer to private companies. Conference believes that a well-funded and accountable local authority provision of this service is essential to the establishment and maintenance of high standards across all providers of this service. Conference also notes that […]
Conference acknowledges the gross injustice that has persecuted, separated from their children, and imprisoned women largely on the evidence of an eminent professor. Professor Roy Meadows’ theories on unexplained infant death have been discredited by both the medical profession and the courts. Some women who received custodial sentences have now been released and others are […]
Conference congratulates Angela Cannings on winning her appeal in November 2003 against her wrongful conviction for murder for the tragic deaths of her children from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Conference applauds the appeal court judges for accepting the new medical evidence presented which clearly demonstrated a genetic link in cases of multiple SIDS, and […]
Insert new 2.2: “No delegate shall serve on Standing Orders Committee for more than three consecutive years.” Re-number following points.
Conference is concerned that women today are facing a considerable pensions gap: for every pound of income received by men in a pensioner couple, women receive less than 32 pence. Female single pensioners are one of the poorest groups of the older population, and currently nearly a quarter live in poverty. The issue of pension […]
Conference notes the Government’s recent consultation paper on domestic violence entitled Safety and Justice. Conference welcomes the paper as a basis for discussion on improving responses to domestic violence. However, Conference believes that the paper does not go far enough in recognising the financial difficulties experienced by women who are ineligible for legal aid but […]
Conference welcomes the excellent campaign launched this year by the Fawcett Society and Age Concern to raise awareness and campaign for improved pension provisions for women. Women suffer pay inequality during their working lives, which continues to impact upon them in their retirement. Twenty five per cent of single female pensioners live in poverty and […]
Recognising that international adoption is a particularly sensitive women issue: 1)Birth mothers do not necessarily want to give up their children but for some social, cultural or economic reasons, they might find themselves pushed to do so. 2)Infertility and adoptive mothers: acknowledging that infertility could be a man and/or a woman issue. In either case, […]
In every UNISON region there are agencies that support women survivors of childhood sexual abuse by providing a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment for women to address the issues arising from their experiences of childhood sexual abuse. These agencies can also act as an information and signpost agency for adult survivors, their families, friends and […]
Conference welcomes the Government’s proposals on legal recognition of same sex partnerships through the introduction of a civil registration scheme. Conference believes that formal recognition of same sex relationships will help combat discrimination against lesbians. Conference is concerned, however, that while the proposals bring some advantages, they also introduce or highlight some problems. The proposed […]