Conference notes that many employers have introduced Capability Procedures which are designed to make it easier to terminate contracts on the grounds of either ill-health or performance. We believe these procedures are disproportionately targeted against disabled workers. Conference notes, with concern, that reasonable adjustments are never exhausted and in some cases are not considered at […]
Conference motions
This Conference notes with great concern the high number of disabled workers experiencing bullying and harassment at work, with research by CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development) highlighting that 37% of disabled workers have experienced bullying and harassment, compared to 18% of non-disabled workers. Further research from Cardiff University highlighted that the type of disability […]
Conference, many of you will have woken up in dismay at the outcome of the European Referendum. While the outcome of the vote was clear what happens next is not. There is no timetable or exit strategy in place for the UK to leave the EU. Disabled Members are concerned that we will not only […]
At Conference it is noted with concern that some members are still having problems getting reasonable adjustments implemented in their workplace. For the fortunate ones that do manage to get them they are not followed through or monitored and kept up to date as their needs change. Some employers are also still too quick to […]
Conference agrees that access to further and higher education benefits not only the student, but society as whole. We especially note that for disabled people whether at sixth form level or already in work, further and higher education for a disabled person helps to level the playing field and expands disabled access to levels it […]
This Conference recognises this phrase – ‘I’ll only be a minute’ as the most common reason abled bodied motorists give for parking in ‘disabled’ designated parking bays. For those motorists, or their passengers, who have mobility issues and who rely on theses spaces to be able to access work, services and shopping etc. the lack […]
This Conference recognises that good mental health support for members in UNISON is of vital importance and congratulates Cymru/Wales Region on their initiatives and development of Mental Health Champions. UNISON Cymru/Wales has been active on mental health for some time. Last year, with the help of Mind Cymru and Time to Change Wales, Cymru/Wales Disabled […]
This Conference believes it is clear that young members are amongst those groups where stress and mental health issues are of growing prevalence and concern. This Conference welcomes the work undertaken by our young members organisation to raise this issue through their work in Young Workers Month (November 2015). Workplace meetings and events were organised […]
This Conference believes that young disabled people in particular are being subjected to ignorance and discrimination because of disabilities that are not immediately apparent. The impact of such disabilities can lead to people being wrongly labelled as “lazy”, or worse, and feeding the stereotype of those with invisible/non-apparent disabilities. This Conference also believes that young […]
With rising pension ages both in the State and Employers Pension Scheme, Higher Education will see an increase in the age of its workforce. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees because of their age. Age discrimination can impact on someone’s confidence, job prospects, financial situation and quality of life. Older […]
Conference notes the vital importance of expanding the spirit and ethos of trade unionism amongst students. To this end, as a highly politically sensitive area of the union, we need to foster closer relations with students unions through the UK. Students, as a group of ‘consumers’, need to realise that with increased tuition fees, they […]
This Conference believes that the growth of privatisation and outsourcing in Higher Education presents a major challenge not just to the provision of services, but also to our ability to organise the workforce effectively. This Conference believes that the service group’s response to this challenge must be to support branches seeking to resist privatisation and […]
Conference notes that Health and Safety has not been exempt from the government’s austerity cuts agenda. The continued drive to “cut red tape” has brought changes to both the way work environments and hazardous substances are classified. Conference welcomes the initiative to standardise substance labelling worldwide and agree that when it comes to health and […]
Conference notes that it was our union’s national collective bargaining that established many equality protections long before they were enshrined in law. For example, our predecessor unions secured recognition of same sex partners for the purposes of workplace benefits before workplace discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation was banned and many years before the first […]
Conference, higher education employers are increasingly using the creation of wholly owned subsidiary companies to transfer support staff to deliver services. This is being used as a way to externalise staff for the purpose of creating a two-tier workforce to undermine the terms and conditions of new workers and placing the pensions and other contractual […]