Disability Leave

Conference instructs National Disabled Members Committee to give a written report back to next years conference along with a presentation on proposals on how to speed up the adoption of disability leave policy by employers where we organise across the UK. The report will need to look at why it has been adopted by some […]

AFFORDABLE SOCIAL HOUSING FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

It is estimated that the Governments house building target of 150,000 homes in England over four years will fall short of the number needed by nearly quarter of a million. Up to 5 million people are on housing waiting lists and 2.5 million families are living in overcrowded conditions. Where does this leave disabled people […]

FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS AND DISABLED WORKERS

Conference agrees that the flexible working arrangements which have been adopted by employers are of immense value to many disabled workers as well as workers with care commitments for a disabled member of their own household. The fact that employers in the public sector have signed agreements with unions to implement various family and disabled […]

The Big Society and Disabled Workers

The Government’s Big Society idea is not convincing as a progressive vehicle for advancing social justice and equality for disabled workers. For a start its context goes hand in hand with deep and reckless cuts in public spending that are already producing disproportionate reductions in the living standards of disabled people. Government attacks on the […]

Conference Timetable and Regional Meetings

This Conference notes that many Regional Disabled Members Committees hold pre-conference training sessions for delegates to the National Disabled Members’ Conference. However, not all delegates can attend these meetings and it is useful to be able to hold a regional meeting at the conference itself. It can be difficult to timetable such an event in […]

Don’t condem young disabled people

Conference believes that young people are amongst those most likely to suffer as a consequence of the damaging policies being pursued by the Con-Dem Government, and that young disabled people will be especially hard-hit. Conference also believes that: 1.The job losses in the public and private sector predicted by the Treasury will have a catastrophic […]

Employers Discriminatory Tactics

Conference is concerned in the rise of employers using discriminatory tactics such as: ·Sickness procedures ·Capability and performance policies ·Presenteism ·Exclusion in recruitment and selection within restructure To rid themselves of disabled employees with minimum expenditure Conference calls upon UNISON National Disabled members Committee to: a)to work with branches and disabled members to actively pursue […]

On-line campaigning for disabled people

Conference welcomes the growth of on-line communities and social networking and the potential opportunities they offer for on-line activity for young and other disabled people. Conference notes the significant number of entries by disabled people to the “TUC’s 60 second advert” competition 2011. Conference also notes the growth of ‘armchair army’ online campaign groups e.g. […]

Future structure of the Police and Justice Service Group

This Service Group Conference notes the Service Group Executive consultation exercise on the substantive structure of the new Police and Justice Service Group held between February and April 2011. Further to this consultation, Conference agrees the following substantive structures for the Police and Justice Service Group: Police and Justice Service Group Constitution 1 Regional Structures […]

CUTS TO DOMESTIC ABUSE SERVICES

Conference is deeply concerned at the cuts to women’s services throughout the country and particularly at recent proposed cuts in Devon. In January one of the major stakeholders, Devon County Council announced that it proposed to withdraw £1.2 million in funding for the Against Domestic Violence Abuse Project (ADVA). The severity and rapidity of these […]

A MILLION WOMEN MARCH

Conference welcomes the news that the TUC has called a national demonstration for 26 March 2011 and understands that opposition to the austerity measures is gradually building up in the UK with demonstrations having already taken place as well as lobbies of Parliament and protests nationwide following the Con Dem announcement of eighty three billion […]

UNIVERSAL CREDIT: WELFARE THAT WORKS

This Conference recognises that some aspects of government’s proposals published in ‘Universal Credit’ (November 2010) to reform the state welfare system are reportedly designed to make it easier for a single assessment of need. Such a system should relieve some of the burdensome pressure of women to make duplicate applications to a number of statutory […]

THE PRICE OF MOTHERHOOD

The adverse impact of motherhood on the gender pay gap is well known. The Labour Government has postponed its proposed extension of maternity pay to fifty two weeks, claiming it is inappropriate during the recession. We know that the coalition government will make no commitment to increasing maternity pay. The CBI attacked the Labour government’s […]

SURE START

Conference notes the disproportionate effects the cuts on public services will have on women, in particular cuts to Sure Start. Users of the services are almost exclusively women as are the staff employed. Sure Start provides vital services such as Early Years play and development, family bonding, speech and language and family support services to […]

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR EMPLOYER BEING WITH FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUESTS

Too many employers view flexible working as only benefiting the employee. Some employers believe that a desire to work flexibly implies a lack of commitment, that it is primarily a benefit for working mothers and that it will breed resentment among those who don’t work flexibly. These attitudes represent the biggest obstacle to flexible working. […]