NHS and Local Government leaders have announced a shared commitment to ‘close the gap’ between the health and care systems. A series of pilot projects will begin in the autumn of 2013 to explore new ways of pooling budgets, speeding up discharge from hospital and conducting assessments. This initiative is to be welcomed – if […]
Conference motions
Modern day packaging of many types of medication is becoming increasingly difficult for elderly people to cope with, in particular the ‘bubble strip’ type packaging of tablets. This type of packaging often results in the user suffering finger cuts and sometimes the destruction of the capsule encased in the ‘bubble’. In addition to difficulties with […]
This Conference considers that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Pensioners’ Committee is not as effective as it could be and that as a result the TUC sometimes fails to gain pensioners’ support for its aims and campaigns etc. Conference considers the committee would be more effective if: 1)Its constitution and purpose were clearer and more […]
Conference notes that the median income of a woman pensioner is less than two thirds that of a man and that two thirds of pensioners living below the poverty line are women. This shocking injustice is the result of lifelong discrimination at work. In general compared to men women earn less so they save less […]
This Conference notes the referendum on Independence for Scotland will be held on 18 September 2014 and if carried it is likely Independence will be gained in 2016 – less than 3 years from now to totally separate the existing integrated financial systems and set up new systems for both Scotland and England/Wales/Northern Ireland. Even […]
Conference is concerned about the lack of development opportunities for Black members working in the Energy Industry. For instance British Gas Business Spinneyside have a large proportion of Black members, most are on L8 with less L7 (team managers) and fewer at senior management and above. This is disproportionate considering the number of Black members […]
Conference deplores the devastating impact the Government’s austerity measures are having on Black communities and the most vulnerable groups in the society. Conference notes with concern the severity of the impact on people from the Black community. Research from the Institute for Public Policy and Research shows that the unemployment level for young Black people […]
In recent years the industry has seen the widespread introduction of new Human Resource initiatives. These include Performance Management, Personal Improvement Plans, revised sickness policies. Such policies are introduced on the pretext of modernisation and improved efficiency. Academic research shows there is little economic benefit from such policies and confirms the view that they are […]
Raising the profile of Black activists in the electricity and gas industries and increasing the number of Black members involved at branch, regional and national levels within the Energy service group and wider union is critical in meeting the UNISON’s recruitment and organising objectives. Conference also notes the Leadership School where activists can take steps […]
Raising the profile of Black activists within water, environment and transport employers and increasing the number of Black members involved at branch, regional and national levels within the WET service group and wider union is critical in meeting the UNISON’s recruitment and organising objectives. Conference also notes the Leadership School where activists can take steps […]
Conference welcomes UNISON’s policy calling for free travel at all times on buses and trains across Britain as a whole and that this should be funded by the Government as per the policy document ‘Moving Forward’. However, inconsistencies in provision across Authorities and cuts in funding for this provision are having an effect on the […]
This conference is greatly concerned to learn of the Cabinet Office’s decision to extend its guidance on trade union facility time beyond government departments to non-departmental public bodies (NDPB’s) including the Environment Agency. UNISON is the biggest trade union in the EA and has had a key role in securing employment policies, terms and conditions […]
The conference notes that the Coalition Government launched the Green Deal in Jan 2013. This supposed deal was introduced to encourage households to make their homes more energy efficient by having works carried out with little upfront cost but instead paying the costs via energy bills over a many years. As well as the potential […]
Conference notes the critical role that Ofwat play in regulating the privatised water industry. It also notes that despite the role of the regulator, profits within the utility businesses have increased to record levels making the owners and key executives very wealthy. Despite the increased profits, members have seen their pay and conditions attacked over […]
This conference notes that Ofwat has launched its price review policy for the period 2015 – 2020. The SG Executive responded to the consultation raising major concerns on a number of fronts: a)The failure to propose a national scheme for the introduction of social tariffs to protect the most vulnerable households from ever increasing water […]