Conference is concerned that it is becoming increasingly difficult for disabled people to participate in the election process. While disabled people have always needed to overcome barriers to be able to vote the government seems determined to make it virtually impossible. The Conservative government’s changes to the voter registration system, including individual voter registration, and […]
Conference motions
The two legal frameworks that are supposed to ensure reasonable access to employment, shops, business, services and public buildings, for those with disabilities, are- • The Equality ACT 2010 • The Building Regulations (2004 edition, incorporating 2010 and 2013 amendments) Approved Document M This Conference is aware that this legislation is not allowing us the […]
Conference is rightly proud of UNISON’s record of fighting Disability Hate Crime. We campaigned to raise awareness of Disability Hate Crime, for better reporting systems and fairer media coverage. We campaigned for disabled people to be treated as reliable witnesses and for more support for victims and witnesses. The police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) […]
Conference, as we know, the Equality Act 2010 protects people within specified protected characteristics groups, including disability, from direct and indirect discrimination as well as harassment or victimisation arising from a disability. Some health conditions have automatic recognition under the Act while others have a twelve month qualifying period having lasted or expected to last […]
Conference is concerned that in the twenty-first century it is still almost impossible for disabled people to stand for elected office or pursue careers in the field of politics. For disabled women the barriers are exacerbated by societal sexism and misogyny. Almost 30% of people old enough to vote are disabled yet less than 2% […]
Conference notes that in 2017 national women’s conference carried a motion calling for the NWC to work with the NEC to address the issue of proportionality in our union. 1 million of UNISON’s 1.3 million members are women – 77% of the total membership. Conference further notes that UNISON’s currently has 66 seats, comprised of […]
Misogyny and hate crime is on the increase in society. In 2016 Nottinghamshire police were the first force to re-classify wolf whistling, cat calling and other misogynistic harassment as hate crime and handled 30 cases in 5 months. Following on from that 15 other police forces are now looking at following Nottinghamshire Police’s lead. In […]
1 in 8 adults or 6.5 million people in the UK are carers according to carers UK with this figure set to rise to 9 million by 2037. Every day 6,000 people take on a caring role and 58% of the careers are women. In 2011, females were more likely to be unpaid carers than […]
This Conference notes historical evidence from the TUC has shown that Black workers are reluctant to use the employer’s policies that are put in place to protect them and fear the ramifications as a result of reporting instances of bullying and discrimination. In a UNISON survey from 2009, the evidence revealed that Black women employees […]
Conference believes that there is an inherent unfairness in the way in which our universities are being run, and the way in which the most senior staff are being rewarded whilst UNISON members and staff working in support services are paying the price. Recent research in the Guardian revealed that among 17 university heads who […]
Conference notes that despite efforts to bring further equality into society, evidence shows that Black workers are still being held back in the work place. Inequalities in employment and income persist, and for many Black workers, this impacts upon their standard of living and make them experience poverty. According to the Department for Works and […]
UNISON’s principles of proportionality and fair representation means that some seats on elected bodies, including the NEC, are reserved for women and low-paid members, so that the make-up fairly represents the wider union. We have a variety of places where low paid seats exist, and low pay is included in branch delegations to national delegate […]
On 8 December 1965 the first Race Relations Act came into force in Britain. Prior to this, it was legal to discriminate against people because of the colour of their skin, and this act was the first in many equality legislation to promote non-discrimination and equality, the Act was amended in 1968. This year is […]
Conference, employers are failing in their duty of care towards staff with mental health issues. Black Staff with mental health issues are not malingers, faking it or simply seeking attention. They have a genuine illness which can be difficult to identify, treat and manage and managers and staff should show greater tolerance and patience toward […]
This Conference welcomes the recent initiative by the Greater London Region Black members which saw a group of young Black members attending an informational and educational seminar. This Conference believes this is an excellent example of the kind of work that Black members can undertake to ensure that lessons and life-experiences on organising to challenge […]