Organising in the Voluntary and Community Sector

Conference agrees that our work in the Voluntary and Community sector (and also within private companies) is becoming of increasing importance. Many of our members work in small organisations, with few staff and consequently no stewards or activists. Many organisations do not recognise UNISON and their size leaves them outside the laws on trade union […]

Local Government – Defending National Terms and Conditions

Conference is wary of the national employers’ wishes to ‘modernise’ working practices and the effect this will have on pay, terms and conditions for local government workers. Having witnessed ‘modernisation’ in, most graphically, the civil and fire services, we understand this is a euphemism for an attack on nationally negotiated terms and conditions. Conference opposes […]

Remodelling The School Workforce

This Conference recognises that the experience of school remodelling for our members has been largely negative and counterproductive. Whilst it is true that some branches have recruited large numbers of support staff to the union on the back of the agreement, as yet this has not resulted in any major improvements in terms and conditions. […]

National Agreement on Remodelling the School Workforce

This Regional Local Government Committee believes the National Agreement on Remodelling the School Workforce is a document, which should provide an opportunity to review and significantly improve the terms, conditions and working lives of school support staff. However for many branches the reality is that Headteachers and Governors, with the abrogation of the LEA of […]

Raising the Profile of Lesbian and Gay Self-Organisation in Colleges of Further Education

This Conference welcomes the call in the resolution “Branch, Steward and Workplace Organisation” of 2003 National Delegate Conference for the development of a programme of improving organisation in further education (FE) colleges. Conference believes that this programme should include initiatives to raise the profile of self-organisation in FE colleges and to encourage participation by FE […]

Professional Indemnity

UNISON believes that it is the responsibility of the employer to cover any act or omission on the part of a member in the course of their employment under the vicarious liability of the employer. Nevertheless this Conference believes that the cover which UNISON provides to its members in Health should be extended to its […]

Nursing Recruitment and Retention Campaign

As part of the national campaign to recruit and retain nursing staff in UNISON, conference agrees that resources should be made available to enable all regions to establish or enter into relevant partnerships with existing library and nursing services databases to ensure that access to this range of professional services becomes a recruiting tool for […]

Fair Pay for All Staff

Conference notes that under Agenda for Change 16 different factors have been invented and have been weighted so that: ·hard physical work gains a maximum of 25 points but; · ·knowledge, training and experience is worth 240 points; · ·25 points are available to recognise tough working conditions yet; · ·360 points are available to […]

Nestle and the Co-op

Conference applauds the Co-perative movement for its activities in promoting fair trade within its stores and advertising campaigns, and for the Co-operative bank’s policies on ethical investments. However, Conference notes with concern that in spite of the strong campaign by Baby Milk Action, the Co-op continues to market Nestle products in their stores and even […]

Women and Pensions *

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 […]

Facilitation Services and Support in UNISON

Women’s role in society as the main carer makes it difficult for them to participate in UNISON without access to a facilitation service which provides for the full range of caring responsibilities that women undertake. Guidelines for members on the types of facilitation that can be put in place by UNISON, or can be arranged […]

Women, Discrimination and the Union

Conference recognises that women who are active in the union have a commitment to supporting, encouraging and developing women members to enable them to deal with the many and varied problems arising from work. Conference also recognises that in providing a quality service to members, women activists are often discriminated against at branch and regional […]

Negotiating Priorities for Women

National Women’s Conference welcomes the new legislation on improving maternity and paternity rights. However, women recognise that this is a starting point only for improving parents’ and carers’ rights in the workplace. Linked to this is negotiating enhanced national childcare provision looking beyond the statutory limit and seeking to campaign for a right to flexible […]

Relaunching Raise the Roof *

Southern Region brought their Raise the Roof Campaign to National Women’s Conference in Harrogate in 1999. National Women’s Conference sent the motion to the National Delegate Conference and it became UNISON policy. A successful campaign was launched, a lot of work has been done, but there is still a lot to do. Southern Region is […]

Female Genital Mutilation

Conference acknowledges it is a national disgrace that female genital mutilation continues to be carried out in the United Kingdom today. Estimates suggest that up to 7,000 girls each year are subjected to this abhorrent practice. A Private Members Bill, designed to stamp it out, proposes two measures: 1)tighten the loophole whereby some parents are […]