Additional impact of learning difficulties on Mental Health

Conference 2014 acknowledged the particular mental health concerns for disabled LGBT people and agreed an action plan to start to address this. Conferences notes the additional impact that being diagnosed with a learning difficulty or disability can have upon our mental health. People who are not aware of their specific learning difficulty or disability or […]

Coming Out to get Facility Time

Conference will note that participation in self organisation is integral to the core work and values of UNISON. Yet activists are increasingly reporting that employers are cutting back on facility time and questioning the purpose of the meeting. Activists are feeling pressurised into disclosing their disability, sexual orientation or gender identity when they may have […]

Access to Work

ACCESS TO WORK The Access to Work (AtW) programme is a fund that helps disabled people start a new job, or remain in employment, with practical support that goes beyond “reasonable adjustments”, which employers are required to make by law. Without AtW many disabled people would be prevented from doing their jobs because of the […]

Concessionary travel passes.

Conference notes the benefits that access to public transport, such as buses, trains and coaches, can bring to many disabled people. Concessionary Passes enable this access but the conditions applicable vary across different nations of the United Kingdom. Also currently, passes issued in one country cannot be used in another. Conference believes that there would […]

The fight for fair sickness absence procedures and ‘Disability Leave’

This Conference notes with concern the election of a ‘Tory’ Government with a majority in Parliament and believes that this will signal a worsening of the rights and the likely employability of disabled people. The Conservatives have indicated their contempt for Industrial Tribunals and are not supportive of any restrictions on employers in their dealings […]

Guidance on rights for disabled workers

This Conference believes that many disabled workers are unaware of their rights as disabled employees. This Conference also believes that without awareness of rights, such rights cannot be pursued, and become endangered through lack of use. This Conference further believes that (i) it is important that information about disabled workers rights be available in a […]

Fair representation for Disabled Members in UNISON

Conference is concerned about the level of discrimination currently faced by disabled people. Cuts to public services, welfare reform, changes to health and social care, reductions in disabled students allowances and bedroom tax have all targeted disabled people. To fight this campaign against disabled people, disabled people need to be politically and societally active. We […]

Social Care Workforce

Conference notes with concern that community, health and local government social workers have long been vilified in the media when things go wrong. Individual social workers have seen their careers destroyed when they have been held to account for the failures of the employer to fund the service properly. Portrayal of social workers in television […]

Creating an Agenda on Equality and Human Rights

There has been a roll-back on equality and human rights throughout the UK despite decades of anti-discrimination legislation, statutory duties to promote equality of opportunity, domestic legislation on human rights and the UK’s obligations under a wide range of EU and UN equality and human rights instruments. The persistent attack on public services has further […]

The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Workers in the Public Sector

The last five years have seen the Coalition Government use the economic crisis as a means of devastating the public sector. The Government’s austerity measures, in response to the global crisis, have been extreme and harsh. The cuts in the public sector are too quick, too deep and causing devastation to the services that they […]

Challenging Growing Inequality

For the past 30 years the economic philosophy has been that wealth would ‘trickle down’ to working people, and it has also been argued that austerity was necessary to build a future for subsequent generations and lift living standards. The reality has been that ordinary people have not seen the quality jobs and higher living […]

Appendix 2 – 4.13

Appendix 2. 4.13 Delete second sentence “The panel may impose any or all of the penalties under Rule I.8 (4) – (6)” And replace with “The panel may impose any or all of the penalties under Rule I.8 (4) – (7)”

LGBT rights and collective agreements

Conference is concerned that collective bargaining and pay determination agreements have been under sustained Tory-led attacks. They have sought to destroy the very agreements that prevent them and their business friends from imposing poverty pay with no holiday or sick leave entitlements. Threats of regional pay bargaining are just the tip of the iceberg. Local […]

Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Glasgow Trade Union Recognition

Conference notes that this year’s event is in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) Glasgow. SECC UNISON members continue to be disappointed over SECC management and Glasgow City Council’s refusal to grant trade union recognition. Over the last year, SECC management have continued their anti-trade union stance and doggedly refuse to positively engage with […]

Rule C Annual membership audit, the appointment & removal of the Assurer

Insert new rule C 8: “C 8 THE UNION’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP AUDIT 8.1 The Union’s membership system shall be audited each year by an Assurer. 8.2 The Assurer will be a qualified professional body of either financial auditors or membership scrutineers. 8.3 The Assurer will be appointed by the National Executive Council who thereafter shall […]