FALSE ALLEGATIONS

Many of us have fought for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, as many lesbians and gay men are aware, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are there is very little in the way of information and support. Take […]

Pensioner Poverty Trap

Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to take appropriate steps to ensure that the government addresses the issue of the erosion of pensioners’ increases by the high annual increase to such charges as council tax and public utilities. Conference also notes that UNISON has established a council tax working group to establish clear UNISON […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Crisis in Care

Conference welcomes the work being done nationally regarding crisis in care within the Right to Care campaign. Conference condemns the cost-cutting culture of some local authorities, which results in the elderly, mostly women, being uprooted from what is recognised as their home. They are moved to another establishment based only on cost. An example 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 […]