Including Retired Members more effectively at Self-Organised Group Conferences

Conference notes that: 1)In 2014, UNISON amended its rules to allow the retired members’ organisation to send two representatives of relevant retired members to each self-organised group (SOG) conference; 2) For the first five years, the retired members’ national committee (NRMC) picked these representatives but from this year self-nominations will be considered and voted on […]

Including More Retired Members more effectively at Self-Organised Group Conferences

Conference notes that: 1)In 2014, UNISON amended its rules to allow the retired members’ organisation to send two representatives of relevant retired members to each self-organised group (SOG) conference; 2. For the first five years, the retired members’ national committee (NRMC) picked these representatives but from this year self-nominations will be considered and voted on […]

DECRIMINALISATION FOR SAFETY

Conference notes that UNISON’s policy on sex work, adopted in 2010 on the basis of a motion from women’s conference, is to support proposals which decriminalise the selling of sex acts while introducing a ‘sex buyers law’ criminalising those who purchase sex acts. Conference recognises that the great majority of sex workers are women. Conference […]

UNISON Rule Book Benefits – Ex-Members of NUPE in Same-Sex Relationships – Death of Spouse Benefit

Conference notes that: 1)Rule L4 provides that: “Members … on Vesting Day (1st July 1993) … retain entitlement to any financial benefits of their former union … providing they continue to remain in membership of UNISON”; and, 2. The Guide to UNISON Rule Book Benefits appears no longer to be available but an edition based […]

LGBT+ Hate Crime

Conference is concerned about the rise in hate crime against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender plus (LGBT+) community over recent years. Although there is no direct evidence as to the root cause of this, Brexit and a reduction in police staff numbers due to austerity are considered to be contributing to empowering a shift […]

Promoting and Expanding LGBT+ Education in Schools

Conference, new statutory Government guidance was issued in 2019 for on Relationship and Sex Education (RSE). RSE covers a range of subjects including families, carers, friendships, relationships, sexual health, safety, consent, abuse, sex and love. From September 2020, all primary schools will be required to teach relationships education and all secondary schools will be required […]

LGBT+ Ally Training

Conference, it is no secret that LGBT+, people have a worse experience at work than people who identify as cis-gender and heterosexual. The Government Equalities Office in 2018 stated that 23% of respondents to their survey had experienced negative reactions from people in their workplace due to being, or the perception of them being, LGBT+. […]

Working to protect the Human Rights of LGBT+ People around the world

Conference, ILGA (the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) have just published their 2019 Sexual Orientation Laws across the world map. It makes alarming reading. There are still 6 countries in the world with the death penalty for being gay, 26 where you can get 10 years in prison and 31 where you […]

Opposing the Cap on Exit Payments

Conference notes that in 2015 and 2016 the Government legislated for a cap of £95,000 on exit payments in the public sector. In April 2019 the Government launched a consultation on proposed draft regulations and guidance to bring the legislation into force. The consultation ends on 3 July 2019. Conference further notes that: 1) The […]

Excluding future HE, FE and sixth form staff from LGPS (England)

This union opposes plans, outlined in the consultation “Local Government Pension Scheme: Changes to the Local Valuation Cycle and the Management of Employer Risk” launched on the 9th May 2019, from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government , that would allow further education colleges (FECs), higher education institutions (HEIs), and sixth form colleges […]

Increasing access for young workers to training and professional development

Conference notes that austerity has seen local authority spending on in work training slashed as staff development budgets have been cut back to the bone. In social care private sector providers focused on making profits provide the bare minimum of opportunities for training. There has also been a shift to online and distance learning and […]

LGBT – the + factor

Conference celebrates UNISON’s work over the past 25 years to promote women’s equality and participation and to tackle sexism and sex discrimination at work, in our union and across society. Like other service groups, the local government service group has a majority of women members and our rules and practices to encourage women’s participation are […]

Councils at breaking point – highlighting the damage

Conference notes that cuts to local government services are biting ever deeper and deplores the damage they are wreaking on local services and our members who work in them. The impact on our members includes job losses, increasing severity and complexity of service user needs, and reduced pay and terms and conditions. Our members are […]

Divest from Carbon Campaign – Save our future, save our planet

Conference recognises the real threat of climate change to our planet. According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1C of global warming above pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change […]

Food Standards Agency – pay, terms and conditions

Conference notes that our members’ employed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have not had a decent pay rise since the coalition and the Conservative governments took office. Civil servants are under extreme pressure due to Brexit but are told there is no money for them. Conference also notes that government cuts and austerity have […]