WELFARE REFORM BILL

This Conference notes that the Government published its ‘Welfare Reform Bill on 4th July 2006. This Bill contains powers to replace incapacity benefits with a new Employment Support Allowance. The Government have said that they do not intend to force people back into work where it is not appropriate and that people will continue to […]

Sickness Absence Policies

Conference is appalled by the continuing discrimination by employers towards disabled members when using Sickness Absence policies. Many of these employers carry the two tick logo. Schemes like the ‘Bradford Factor’, where a disabled member could pick up 1000’s of points with ongoing treatment for their disability, place staff under massive pressure to reduce their […]

MAPPING OF DISABLED MEMBERS

The Scottish Disabled Members’ Group is concerned that no accurate statistics exist on the number of disabled members in the union. The interim report of the Equalities Review would indicate that as many as 1 in 4 people in the UK could be classified as disabled under the DDA. Impending legislation would increase this number, […]

The National Pensioners Convention

Conference regrets that: 1)Lord Turner and the Pensions Commission have made no recommendations to improve the basic state pension until 2010: 2)the Government White Paper has no plans to increase immediately the basic state pension which represents at least half of many pensioners’ weekly income. Conference believes that improving the basic state pension and paying […]

Women’s Pensions

Conference notes that the current pension system was designed in the 1940’s and cast women as dependents. This means that subsequent generations of women have lost out because of unequal pay, part-time working, and caring responsibilities giving them lower incomes over their lifetime and for too many, poverty in old age. The plight of women […]

AGEISM

Conference welcomes the introduction of Age Regulations which will outlaw age discrimination in employment and training from October 2006. Although it may be possible to outlaw age discrimination in the work place, changing the culture of ageism will be much harder. Older people continue to have to accept differences in treatment on the grounds of […]

Equality Duty

This Conference welcomes the new Equality Duty that will be imposed on public bodies and some private organizations from December 2006. Conference knows that no new resources will be made available to implement this piece of new legislation. Conference therefore calls upon the National Disabled Members Committee to liaise with the NEC, Labour Link and […]

Disabled People Living in Poverty

Conference recognises that many disabled people are living in poverty, and the proportion of disabled adults who are unemployed but want to work are almost three times higher than those without a disability. This demonstrates that discrimination in the labour market is a continuing issue. We know that even where disabled people are in employment, […]

FUNDING TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE

The terms ‘Equalities’ and ‘Fair and Equitable Treatment’ are those upon which UNISON is based. However, when stated in conjunction with the various Retired Members sections at both regional and branch level, do not always apply. There appears to be a wide variation in financial and other support. It seems that some sections are able […]

National Pensioners’ Charter

Conference agrees that after 25 years of campaigning and consulting with pensioners across the United Kingdom (UK) that the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) National Pensioners’ Charter with its 11 Draft Bills of Rights is more than a fair reflection of what UK pensioners need. Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to give their support […]

TUC Retired Members’ Forum

Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee to: 1) encourage UNISON Regional Retired Members’ Committees to appoint their full entitlement of delegates to their appropriate TUC Retired Members’ Forum; 2) facilitate the exchange of information between UNISON Regional Retired Members’ Committees to assist in developing a coordinated approach to this area of work. The […]

Driving Tests for Those Over 75 Years of Age

Conference deplores the proposal to introduce a compulsory driving test for those persons over the age of 75. The implementation of any form of driving test without discussion and consultation with affected parties and without the production of evidence to support the need is discrimination against the older driver. Conference therefore strongly requests the National […]

Communications to Retired Members 2006

Conference recognises the importance of effective communications in informing all retired members of information which affect their interests. These include matters in which the National Retired Members’ Committee is engaged on our behalf, in order that appropriate and timely advice may be given and support for policy generated. Equally, the views and concerns of members […]

Free Travel Pass

The Government included in the 2005 Budget, the introduction of free local bus travel for pensioners in April 2006. The implementation has been costly and complicated. In some towns, for example Southampton, free bus travel is limited to within a city boundary, with two exceptions, one to a hospital, the other to a supermarket, both […]

The Best Education for All

Conference reiterates its policy and belief that children, families and communities are best served by a secondary system that is comprehensive, free of selection and accountable to local people through Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and condemns the government for effectively turning education (a social and cultural aspect of society) into a market, eroding the potential […]