This Conference notes that many disabled people receive funding from Access to Work (ATW) to employ a support worker or reader. This means that the person in receipt of ATW has the same legal responsibilities as all employers, such as having in place grievance and disciplinary policies/procedures, providing an employment contract, sorting out tax and […]
Conference motions
Conference agrees that the concept of free bus travel for disabled people and those aged 60 and above has been a welcome advance for many citizens within the United Kingdom. However, we are concerned that some local authorities issue travel vouchers instead of an open permit for free travel. Vouchers, by their nature, ration the […]
Conference welcomes the decision to develop a UNISON Equality Scheme covering every function of UNISON – recruitment and organising, negotiating and representing members, campaigning and promoting UNISON, and UNISON’s internal functions as an employer and service provider. UNISON is rightly proud of its leading profile in the field of equalities and its provision of a […]
This conference has previously welcomed the Disability Equality Duty placed on employers in December 2006. In particular, the general duty includes some powerful statements on the need for public sector employers and employers with public functions to: ·promote equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons ·promote positive attitudes towards disabled people ·encourage participation […]
Disability Leave is an important agenda for the majority of our disabled members, as without this, through no fault of their own, they are subject to the timebound sickness procedures operated within organisations. We thank the National Disabled SOG Committee for the work that has been undertaken in compiling and distributing the Disability Policy Guidelines […]
Conference notes with concern the number of health issues that affect disabled women, in light of closures, cuts and the implementation of new legislation. Conference recognises that disabled LGBT women have further issues for example, around the recognition of their same sex partners as next-of-kin, sexual health issues being overlooked and sometimes homophobic attitudes in […]
Conference agrees that since the Disability Equality Duty was placed upon public sector employers in December 2006, in many cases the application has been more wishful than realistic. We fear that public sector employers would rather pay lip service to the duty than actually deliver. Conference having already affirmed in 2005 its support for local […]
Conference welcomes the great advances in cancer research. This has meant the availability of new drugs and treatment therapies, for some of the most common cancers affecting patients in the United Kingdom, resulting in many more people surviving, living and working with cancer. Cancer has a very strong impact on women. For example the vast […]
Conference notes the recent implementation regarding Disability Equality Schemes. 1.We call upon the NDMC/NEC to liaise with a)Service groups to monitor what is happening in branches; b)Send out guidance to branches to encourage employers to promote Disability Equality in the workplace. c)Liaise with all service groups, the Audit Commission and the Disability Rights Commission to […]
Conference notes with deep concern the government’s continuing commitment to the private provision of public services. In every part of the public sector from schools and hospitals to housing and benefits the government is pushing ahead with privatisation and outsourcing. In the National Health Service (NHS), the government appears committed to privatisation by stealth. At […]
Conference notes that the 2006 Local Government White Paper has major implications for thousands of UNISON members not just in local government, but in health, education policing, transport and other areas. It also affects all our members as local citizens. Conference also notes that the agenda set out in the White Paper, and the subsequent […]
Conference welcomes the environmental campaign work that UNISON has undertaken over the previous year. Our union has a strong record on the environment, which has included both work place specific activities, such as negotiating green travel plans, cycle to work schemes and re-cycling facilities, and support for national and international campaigns, such as the call […]
Conference applauds the work that UNISON has done recently in respect of organising, representing, protecting and supporting migrant workers. Conference calls on UNISON to continue its positive response to inward migration, and to take this opportunity to recruit and organise these, often vulnerable, workers. UNISON has provided recruitment and information materials in several languages, set […]
Conference believes the priority for UNISON is to organise and grow and eventually become a union of two million public service members because unless we grow in numbers and density we cannot grow in influence with employers, the government and other agencies. A growing union is the most effective way of improving the working lives […]
Conference approves the recommendations contained in the National Executive Council’s report on the Review of Branch and Service Group Structures: Recommendation 1. National Executive Council (NEC) to produce a revised scheme as per rule G 1.2 to ensure that branches: a)give members a right to participate in their union; b)give members a right to be […]