AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER 4

In Standing Order 4.1 delete current wording and replace with: ‘The mover of a motion or an amendment shall speak for not more than five minutes and each succeeding speaker for not more than three minutes, except where the Standing Orders Committee have decided otherwise.’

FIFTY PENCE BROADBAND CHARGE

This Conference condemns the poverty and debt that pensioners are now facing due to the recent economic collapse of the financial system. On top of all the hardship brought about by the combined action and inaction of the Government, many pensioners must now face a financial penalty of fifty pence a month on their telephone […]

POWER OF ATTORNEY AND LIVING WILLS

This Conference is aware that due to the statistical increase in the ageing population, many of our retired members who are part of this ageing population may not have in place a procedure to ensure that their personal wishes and affairs are in order. Conference also recognises the distress that results in many circumstances when […]

Black Activists Tackling Racism at Work

Black members are still facing an uphill battle in the workplace; they encounter barriers in career progression, daily oppression from organisations’ institutional racist cultures and are treated differently when raising grievances against employers which lead to the victimisation against many black members. There is a common theme that for too long employers have been able […]

FREE SWIMMING FOR THE OVER 60S

Conference welcomes the Government initiative that councils provide free swimming facilities for the over 60s. Conference notes however that not all councils are providing this facility. Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to campaign to get all councils to provide this facility.

BNP and Far Right

Conference notes with alarm that the support for the far right continues to grow and the British National Party (BNP) has increased its vote significantly in council elections, including Stoke-on-Trent, and the London Assembly over the past year and there is the very real threat one or more BNP candidates will be elected to the […]

Organising School Staff

Recruiting and organising school staff remains a major issue for this union. The proposed negotiating framework for schools in England and the changing working environment, resulting in increased roles and responsibilities for all staff in schools, highlight the need to improve the unions’ organisation in this area. Conference is aware that some branches have been […]

Supporting Social Care Staff

This Conference affirms UNISON’s respect and support for the dedicated members in Social Care who provide care to the most vulnerable people in our society and welcomes the moves towards registration of Home Carers. This union believes that often the media and politicians from all parties are too willing to lay the blame for our […]

ELDER ABUSE

Conference notes with concern that there is no specific law which addresses Elder Abuse and makes it an aggravated offence, as is the case with child abuse. Conference therefore instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee, and calls upon the trade union movement, to urge the legal establishment and HM Government to make Elder Abuse an […]

FUTURE CARE IN THE COMMUNITY

This Conference believes Elderly people deserve the best possible care in their latter years. Conference has in the past expressed concern about the level of care in the community, particularly where this service has been outsourced. Some care provision in sheltered accommodation is now provided by contacts on refrigerators to indicate to a central point […]

SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENTS

This Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to use all means at its disposal to abolish discrimination against single persons and in particular older retired persons by hotels and other establishments in charging single room supplements.

Rarely Cover

This Conference notes with regret the latest advice from UNISON issued on 2 May 2009, around the issue of “Rarely Cover” in classrooms. This advice has been sent direct to schools and is already being used by headteachers to undermine existing pay and conditions of service. This Conference notes that in Kirklees the local WAMG […]

Climate Change

Conference notes that in the period since National Delegate Conference 2008 there have been significant developments in relation to climate change policy that will have far reaching consequences for the way in which we live our lives, the world of work and the public services. These include: 1)The passing into law of new climate change […]

Fuel Poverty

Fuel poverty is generally defined as when an individual or household spends at least 10% of their disposable income on fuel. Conference notes that The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and the government’s Fuel Poverty Strategy require the government to end fuel poverty for vulnerable people by 2010 and to end fuel poverty […]

Palestine

Conference reiterates its belief that only when a sovereign, independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestine state is created, living side by side with a secure Israel will there be chance for peace and stability in the Middle East. Conference strongly believes that justice for the Palestinian people is essential to any solution to the existing […]