The Disability Two Ticks Symbol

The disability two ticks symbol is a charter mark awarded through Job Centre Plus, Department for Works & Pensions (DWP) and is available to any organisation that can prove and attain five standards: 1)to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and consider them on their abilities; […]

Pay Per Mile Driving

Conference is concerned about the government’s plans to abolish road tax and petrol duty, charging motorists instead on a per mile basis to travel. A driver or passenger entitled to the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance should be exempt from any new charges. Pay per mile driving could be particularly detrimental to […]

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

In June 2004 the government was consulting on a white paper Fairness for All on the setting up of a commission for equality and human rights. This commission will replace existing equality bodies including theDisability Rights Commission. Conference notes that equality legislation is different for different groups (such as race, gender, disability, sexuality). In particular […]

Access to Justice

Access to justice is the right of every person, it is a fundamental human right. It is an essential part of our democratic society. Equal access to an independent, impartial and speedy justice system is a fundamental pillar of democracy. Disabled people face barriers to justice as they often do not understand their rights or […]

Monitoring of Attendance of Disabled Delegates to National Delegate Conference

UNISON is committed to achieving proportionality and fair representation at conferences and throughout its structures. Currently branches entitled to send larger delegations are obliged to maintain reserved seats for low paid members, young members and other under-represented groups. There are processes in place to ensure that this is monitored for women and black members. This […]

Abuse of Disabled Parking Spaces

Conference deplores the use of disabled parking spaces by non-badge holders. These spaces have been reduced in numbers considerably, especially in supermarkets, which is bad enough, but when they are blatantly used by other than badge holders, this compounds the infringements on the rights of a disabled person to park near the shop entrance. Some […]

Participation of Visitors in Workshops

Visitors to the Conference are seated separately and are unable to vote, but they learn a lot about procedures which will be helpful in future if they become delegates. There does not seem however to be any reason why they should not attend the workshops which may also help them in the future and they […]

Small Print Font Size

Important information is frequently presented in ways difficult to read as the type size may be too small and there may be insufficient colour contrast between the print and the paper. The computer seems to have made this problem more common. Examples can be found in newspapers, cooking instructions, information to do with financial matters […]

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 […]

Nationally Run Travel Scheme

Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee and the National Executive Council to lobby the government to introduce a nationally run travel scheme for all people over 60 years of age. Free travel passes are already in existence in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Liverpool, London and other areas. However the minority of the country […]

Transport and the Senior Citizen

Conference notes that millions of senior citizens depend upon public transport in their daily lives. Conference considers that more resources should be made available for both bus and rail travel. Conference reaffirms that a national road and rail pass for pensioners aged 60 and over should be introduced as part of a national transport policy. […]

Occupational Pension Schemes

Conference is opposed to recent proposals to limit the right of individuals to take early retirement from the age of 50 onwards. Conference considers that this is part of an ongoing exercise by the employers and the government to make people work longer and, by implication, have less time in which to enjoy their pensions. […]

Driving and Prescription Drugs

Following a survey undertaken by Aston University and commissioned by the Department of Transport earlier this year, it was found that many elderly drivers were driving under the influence of drugs, in the form of strong medications issued legitimately, and prescribed by doctors who were not aware that the patient was intending to or in […]

Qualifying Dates for Additional Payments

Conference expresses its concern that additional payments for items such as the winter fuel allowance are subject to the recipient attaining the specified age by a certain date. It feels that this means a number of pensioners do not become entitled to the payment until the following year. Conference therefore calls upon the National Retired […]

Local Government Pension Scheme

Conference is alarmed at the threat to the Local Government Pension Scheme posed by the government’s plans to introduce amended regulations. Conference sees this as part of a wider move to undermine pensions in general. Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee and all retired members’ sections to support the TUC’s Pay Up For […]