Conference believes that it is a human right for everyone to have a safe, secure and affordable home. Conference notes with alarm that the Tory Emergency Budget in July was a horrendous attack on the most vulnerable and poorest in our society. It shows that the Tories are celebrating their small majority Government with a […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the election results in May and that the Tories will take the opportunity to push through ideological cuts to public services. Over the last five years, branches have seen that training budgets and funding for equality and diversity are amongst the first to be cut. This means that employees have less training or […]
Conference notes that the Trade Union Bill is just a start on a wide scale attack on trade unions and activists. Clause 13 of the bill includes a reserve power which can permit the government to introduce a cap on the amount of money spent on facility time in the public sector. This, in addition […]
Conference notes the widespread lack of awareness about young trans people and the issues they face, including within schools. This is made worse by the impact of austerity cuts to specialist and mainstream youth services, to community and support groups and to health services. Conference believes that giving young trans people the information, support and, […]
Conference notes with serious concern the recent report of waiting times for National Health Service (NHS) gender treatment could reach twelve years in some parts of the United Kingdom (UK) unless urgent action is taken. For example, a recent Freedom of Information request by UK Trans Info revealed that by the end of April 2015 […]
Conference notes the myths and prejudice that surround bisexuality and bisexual people and how this impacts on people’s working lives. Conference believes that this is partly based on the dominant perception that gender identity and sexual orientation are binaries – woman or man; same sex attraction or opposite sex attraction. This leads to the non-inclusive […]
In many police stations across the country police staff who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) have a working life which is overshadowed by the fear of exposure and ridicule, be it by an accidental or deliberate act. Rural districts are sometimes traditionally conservative communities and their understanding of LGBT issues coloured by […]
Conference notes that of all the main sexual orientation groups, bisexual people are the most invisible and least provided for in terms of dedicated or fully relevant and inclusive services. Lack of evidence on bisexual people and services is both a symptom and a cause of wider bisexual invisibility. Conference therefore welcomes the survey report […]
Conference notes the contradictory situations faced by Pride events in 2015. On the one hand we celebrate the fact that in this year, 30 years after the Miners’ strike, Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) participated in many Pride events across the country – as well as in other trade union events such as […]
Conference recalls that 2010 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Conference adopted the resolution “Protecting sex workers and tackling prostitution” which recognized there are divergent views within the LGBT group on the issue of criminalising those who purchase sex acts and acknowledged “a need for continuing dialogue, especially where these issues affect men and trans […]
Conference notes that the majority Conservative government will have been in power in Westminster for a year by May 2016. The local, regional and devolved nation elections on 5 May will mark a first test of the Conservative’s electoral support and offer a chance to challenge their power at a local and regional level. Conference […]
Conference notes that last year the national young members’ forum introduced a motion to draw up a charter for the ongoing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement, to help newer, younger activists understand what there still is to fight for. Conference further notes the motion was well-received and this charter is currently being drafted […]
Conference welcomes the decision by the Trades Union Congress Young Workers Conference to make mental health an issue of priority for the coming year and notes that the UNISON national young members’ forum has also made mental health a priority for its 2015-16 workplan. Conference also welcomes the discussions that have been initiated between equality […]
On the 21st July 2015 the Equality Network launched The Scottish LGBT Equality Report, a major new state-of-the-nation report on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people’s experiences of inequality in Scotland. The report is the most comprehensive study of LGBT inequality in Scotland to date, based on a survey of 1052 respondents and informed […]
Conference notes that, although many advances have been made in the treatment of transgender or gender non-conforming workers, harmful gender stereotypes are still being enforced through other means. Dress codes should serve a legitimate purpose, such as maintaining a desired image with customers and clients, or aiding staff visibility, and these ends can be attained […]