WIDER SOCIETAL BENEFITS OF TREATMENT

Conference notes that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has rejected a proposal from the Department of Health that its assessment of new medicines should include the evaluation of wider societal benefit (WSB). Wider Societal Benefit is a measure of the impact of a treatment on the extent to which people living […]

Amendment to Standing Orders – Standing Order 3

Add at end of Standing Order 3.1 A regional delegate may move a motion or amendment submitted by a Branch within that Region if the Branch concerned is unable to be present at the Conference. Delete existing 3.3 Renumber 3.4 as 3.3.

FUNDING FOR RETIRED MEMBER ACTIVITY

Conference notes that the National Executive Council has submitted several rule changes to National Delegate Conference including one on adequate and agreed funding for retired member activity. Conference also notes the existence of Regional Pools. These Regional Pools are intended to be an additional source of branch funding for specific items where the branch could […]

Ageing Well in UNISON

Conference recognises that one of the factors to account for the growth of UNISON’s Retired Members’ Organisation is growing longevity. While this mainly consists of existing members growing older there are also instances of former members taking up retired membership many years after they left work. Conference asserts that longevity is an asset not a […]

CARE HOME STAFF

Conference notes with concern that the conditions of service of Care Staff is a real scandal and as a result the frail, elderly people are not receiving the level of service they should. A study by Baroness Kingsmill has stated that frail elderly people are being exposed to neglect and abuse because caring and compassionate […]

Save the Pensioner’s Bus Pass

It has been reported that the Government is considering introducing means testing for the Pensioners Bus Pass. This is a short sighted policy that will bring little benefit to the taxpayer. It will however bring isolation and misery to those pensioners who rely on public transport to travel but who will not be able to […]

HS2 Rail Project and Other Rail Developments

Conference welcomes the Coalition Government’s planned increase in rail investment, but questions the value for money, rape of the environment and a 12 year wait for completion of the HS2 high speed rail line at this time of austerity when the project will cut just 45 minutes off a journey from Birmingham to London. Conference […]

Support for Public Transport

Having an integrated, efficient public transport network is vital to the economy and to the daily lives of millions of people. While billions of pounds will be spent on building the HS2 rail line money is being cut from local authority budgets which leads to bus services being stopped, threatening the jobs of our members. […]

Celebrating Eequality in WET Workplaces

Conference notes that workplace equality issues are often portrayed as problems, difficult to handle, a minority interest and all about discrimination and prejudice. Conference believes that equality is not a problem but rather is something to celebrate in our Water, Environment and Transport (WET) workplaces. By celebrating equality and celebrating diversity we can help end […]

Tackling Stress in Water, Environment and Transport Workplaces

Conference welcomes the work done over many years by UNISON negotiators and representatives in water, environment and transport (WET) to highlight and tackle workplace stress. Conference is concerned that the current climate, with persistent threat to jobs, is placing particular stresses on WET members. There is micro-management, ever more pressure to meet targets, with fewer […]

Recruiting and organising under-represented workers

Conference notes that Water, Environment and Transport is the only UNISON service group where male members outnumber female. This is despite the predominance of women staff in the administrative and clerical roles, in common with the UK workforce as a whole. Women in any workforce continue to face discrimination in pay and access to training […]

Getting Equality on the Bargaining Table and Winning it for Members

This Conference welcomes the work being done by the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group (BEEOWG) to promote the equalities agenda. Equalities have long been a priority with the WET Service Group. Within the WET service group we have a long and proud tradition of fighting for equality for all our members. Over the […]

Environment Agency Cuts

This Conference is alarmed at the scale of job losses that are ongoing within the Environment Agency. It notes that since the Tory led coalition came into power nearly 25% of the workforce will have been lost as a direct result of the Government spending cuts. These cuts are a disaster for our members, for […]

Social Tariffs

This Conference notes that the Water Bill has moved through its legislative cycle following much delay. UNISON has been totally underwhelmed with the Water Bill and its contents and does not believe that the continued drive to introduce competition is the panacea that is so often claimed. If we take a look at the Energy […]

Mitbestimmung in the Water Industry

Germany has recovered from the economic downturn of the past few years faster than most and shown sustainable growth year upon year despite major upheavals and changes such as re-unification. Many economists are convinced this is due to Mitbestimmung or Co-determination law. This law underpinning industrial and company policy in Germany requires that between a […]