Ethical care

Conference notes that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are less able than others to rely on family support in old age so may be more reliant on home care services. Conference is concerned about the quality of such services and whether they address the needs of LGBT people. Conference also notes that […]

Intersex members

Conference welcomes the adoption in June by the Australian Parliament of a Bill extending the provisions of the country’s Sex Discrimination Act so as to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status in areas including employment, the provision of goods and services, and education. This is the first time […]

Equal Pension Rights for LGBT Couples

Conference welcomes the intention of the Scottish Government to ensure that there is equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) couples when it comes to pensions that are under Scottish control. Hence LGBT teachers, local government workers, NHS staff and police and fire service personnel will have equality in pension provision in Scotland. As […]

Equal Treatment for LGBT Asylum Seekers in the UK Asylum System

Conference notes that consensual acts between same-sex adults are criminalised in 80 United Nations member states and homosexuality results in the death penalty in 6 of these countries. Of the 54 states in the Commonwealth, homosexual activity remains a criminal offence in 41 of the 54 nations. Conference further notes that the picture for transgender […]

Future Directions dispute in Rochdale and the use of anti union laws

Conference deplores the use of anti union legislation by Future Directions, a Community Interest Company, to frustrate a 96% vote for industrial action by its workforce in Rochdale on a ballot turnout of 72%. On 24 May 2013, the employer secured an interim injunction to restrain a three day strike (barely 12 hours before it […]

Bangladeshi garment workers

Conference shares the shock and horror felt around the work at the death of over 1,000 mainly female garment workers in the collapse of a factory building in Rana Plaza, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dangerous working conditions are endemic in the garment industry in Bangladesh and deaths are shamefully all too common. The scale of this tragedy […]

Rule C Unemployed Members

Rule C 2.4.1 After “redundant” add: “or having accepted a compromise agreement as an alternative to dismissal.” After “date if dismissal”, remove “or” and add “,” after “redundancy” add “or agreement”.

Work capacity assessment and the denial of disability

Conference rejects without qualification the revised Work Capability Assessment (WCA) that underpins the government’s drive to deny people who are sick or disabled the financial support they need because they cannot secure paid work. Thousands of disabled people’s lives are being turned upside down by the new assessment regime used to decide eligibility for Employment […]

Rule H Payment to Branches

Delete existing wording of Rule H.4.2 and replace with: “With effect from 1 January 2014 such sums shall be remitted by branches in accordance with a timetable to be published to branches concerned by the National Executive Council and paid into a current account held in the name of the branch with Unity Trust Bank.”

Rule D Composition

Rule D 1.3.3.1 Delete “Rule G.9” and replace with “Rule G.10”

Rule G The Branch Committee

Add new Rules G 2.2.8 and G 2.2.9: “.8 shall from 1 January 2014 maintain records of its financial transactions, assets and liabilities using the national online branch accounting system (OLBA); .9 shall from 1 January 2014 develop an appropriate annual budget as part of the joint branch assessment process in accordance with the Union’s […]

Rule D Self Organised Groups

Amendment to Rule D 4.2 In existing D 4.2, delete all after “shall be, within the framework of the rules of the union, to” and replace with: “assist the union to: .1 promote the union’s equalities and bargaining agenda .2 defend jobs, terms and conditions and services .3 build its density and have a strong […]

Rule C Retired Members

Rule C 2.6.1 Delete “in receipt of a pension and who are not in other paid employment.” and replace with “are retired.” Add new Rule C2.6.2 “Retired members who return to paid employment, which falls within the scope of Rule C 1, will be obliged to pay the appropriate subscription rate to remain in UNISON […]

Campaigning, recruiting and organising around health and safety

Conference recognises the importance of health and safety as a campaigning, organising and recruiting tool, particularly in the light of the government’s continued assault on the health and safety regulatory system, including: 1)cuts to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authority budgets resulting in the continued reduction in the number of workplace inspections; […]

Building on our recruitment campaign

Conference welcomes the major recruitment drive whose aim has been to strengthen the union in order to defend better our member’s interests and campaign even more effectively in defence of public services. Conference believes that the next stage of this work must be to step up the union’s work to bring more members into active […]