Equality in the Judicial System

The Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Women’s Committee is very concerned at the continuing disparity in the sentencing passed on men who murder their partners and women who kill their partners in the process of defending themselves against sustained domestic violence/abuse. This continuing discriminatory practice and misunderstanding of the effect that long term domestic violence has […]

UNISON Expenses Prevent Equality

This Conference is aware that one of the founding principles of UNISON was to have reached proportionality and fair representation by the year 2002, whilst this goal has not been achieved we recognise that there has been progress – principally that delegations from branches to national/regional events are now expected to achieve proportionality and fair […]

Information on Hormone Replacement Therapy

There has been a lot of publicity recently concerning the safety of hormone replacement therapy. This will have caused great concern to many women who use hormone replacement therapy and general confusion about the benefits/dangers of the long term use. This Conference instructs the National Women’s Committee to produce a publication covering hormone replacement therapy […]

Pickering Report

In July 2002, a Government appointment review by Alan Pickering, former chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds produced its report A Simpler Way to Better Pensions. This Conference believes that the proposals contained in the Pickering Report will have little impact on the current crisis and do nothing to boost employee confidence in […]

National Minimum Standards for Care Homes

This Conference is disappointed to note that when announcing the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes, the Health Minister, Alan Milburn, backtracked on some of the initial promises. As a result the National Minimum Standards will now apply guidelines on factors such as room size and single occupancy to new homes only. There will be […]

Proportionality and Fair Representation

This Conference notes the findings of the 2002 UNISON survey of UNISON representatives which concludes: 1)The typical UNISON steward is 47 years old, male, working full time and has been a steward for nine years. 2)55% of stewards are men compared to 33% of members who are men. 3)7% of stewards work part time compared […]

Maternity, Paternity and Flexible Working

This Conference welcomes the Government’s new legislation to improve the rights of working parents from April 2003 in particular: 1)The increase in basic maternity leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. 2)The increase in Statutory Maternity Pay from £75 to £100. 3)The introduction of paid paternity leave. 4)The introduction of statutory paid adoption leave. 5)The […]

Married Women’s Stamp

Conference notes that women employees relying on the state pension earned during employment to provide a reasonable standard of living in retirement, often find at the time of retirement, that they will not receive their anticipated pension. We believe this is a pension scandal to rival that of Equitable Life or the Maxwell affair. 1. […]

Future Structure of UNISON’s Retired Members’ Organisation

At the Retired Members’ Annual Conference 2001 delegates were informed that a final report on The Retired Members’ Organisaiton would be presented to and debated by conference 2002. To date 4 October 2002, this separate report has not been presented to delegates to the 2002 Conference. This conference therefore instructs the National Retired Members Committee […]

Trades Union Congress General Council – Section I – Member Representing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Trade Unionists

Conference notes: 1.That in 2001 the Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Council was enlarged to include three new sections, each consisting of one seat: section H, ‘member representng trade unionists with disabilities’, section J ‘member representing trade unionists under 27 years of age’ and I, member to represent lesbian, and gay trade unionists, and in […]

Ending Low Pay

Conference welcomes the statement in May last year by the Minister for Equalities and Women that “pink pounds” have created a more tolerant society towards lesbians and gay men. Conference agrees that whether one is treated with dignity and respect depends largely on whether you have money to spend. Conference therefore congratulates negotiators throughout the […]

Broadening the Trade Union Movement’s Understanding of Equality

Conference welcomes the increasing recognition of lesbian and gay rights as bread and butter trade union issues, evidenced by: 1.The solid body of UNISON policy and work on lesbian and gay equality; 2. 2. ever increasing numbers of unions represented at the TUC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender conference; 3. the success of the 2nd […]

UNISON Conference Standing Orders

Conference notes that each national self-organised group and the National Young Members Forum can submit a total of two motions to service group conferences, although they can submit two motions and two amendments to National Delegate Conference. Conference recognises the key role of the self-organised groups and the National Young Members Forum in highlighting equalities […]

Bargaining on Equality

Conference notes that one of the most significant developments during UNISON’s first ten years is how central equalities issues have become to nearly everything the union does and that the self-organised groups have been the main single factor to make this so and keep it so. However, their work is often poorly integrated with collective […]

Retired Members’ Conference Dates

This Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to negotiate with the Conference Section for all future National Retired Members’ Conferences to be held on Wednesdays, with workshops on Tuesdays.