Fire Wardens, Risk Assessors and Health & Safety Representatives

This conference believes that a safe working environment is a right for everyone. There is a requirement under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Act 2003 and the Fire Scotland Act 2005 for employers to provide adequate resources to ensure that the workplace has taken […]

UNISON Participation in International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)

Conference recognises that an ever-increasing amount of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) agenda is at a European and World level. Significant legislative and policy gains in relation to LGBT equality have been achieved through European structures. Time and again, UNISON members have shown their solidarity with brothers and sisters across the world who […]

NHS GREEN TRAVEL PLAN

This Conference Supports the development of the NHS Green Travel plan, which encourages the use of public transport, walking and cycling to work. Accordingly Conference agrees to 1)Support the NHS Environmental travel plans 2)Calls for a ring fencing of a percentage of car parking for the use of showers, changing facilities and safe bicycle storage […]

General Social Care Council Register

Conference notes the recently introduced General Social Care Council Register, which includes the town in which a person works and is available via the world wide web to any member of the public. Conference is concerned that this may particularly problematic for Social Care staff who may have worked in service areas where threats of […]

Self Organisation – Is there a Glass Ceiling?

Trades unionism is all about organising workers around a common experience. Traditionally, this included employer, occupation and geography but it has come to include shared experience of prejudice and discrimination. These are deep-rooted in society and women workers, black workers, disabled workers and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) workers have often been under-represented or […]

Part Time is Not Second Best

The Women and Work Commission report has once again highlighted the need for quality part-time work to be available to women if the gender pay gap is ever to be closed. LG part-time women earn a mere 58% of full-time men working in local government 85% of NJC workers on points 4-6 are part time, […]

Representation of Members in Non-Core Employers

This conference recognises that fragmentation of our branches in the conventional sense is taking place. Service Group Executive members on UNISONs ‘Structures Review Group’ should urgently address the range of facilities afforded by employers. This is called for in the face of the most advanced package of changes in the NHS yet faced by branches. […]

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Conference welcomes the progress made on the introduction of a single Commission for Equality and Human Rights(CEHR). However Conference is very concerned that there are still no plans to introduce legislation relating to the CEHR’s powers, constitution, terms of reference and details of the various strands and their link to each other. Conference is also […]

Flat Rate, Pan London Weighting

Whilst recognising that some staff have done well out of the high cost area allowance under Agenda for Change, many staff have actually lost some of their London weighing due the move from a flat-rate to a percentage rate. This is a retrograde step as it affects the lowest paid staff. It is also the […]

Disability

·Conference deplores the failure of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Trusts within Northern Ireland to exercise their statutory obligations under Section 75 and Statutory Duty in employing and providing services for those with disabilities; · ·Conference calls on UNISON to seek an immediate Audit of the numbers of disabled staff employed within the Northern […]

TRADES UNION CONGRESS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER CONFERENCE

Conference recalls last year’s resolution calling upon the Trades Union Congress Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (TUC LGB&T) Committee to review whether arrangements for its annual conference best meet the needs of the maximum number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender trades unionists. Conference notes that UNISON raised this with the TUC which decided not […]

Local Government – Defending National Terms and Conditions

Conference is wary of the national employers’ wishes to ‘modernise’ working practices and the effect this will have on pay, terms and conditions for local government workers. Having witnessed ‘modernisation’ in, most graphically, the civil and fire services, we understand this is a euphemism for an attack on nationally negotiated terms and conditions. Conference opposes […]

Professional Indemnity

UNISON believes that it is the responsibility of the employer to cover any act or omission on the part of a member in the course of their employment under the vicarious liability of the employer. Nevertheless this Conference believes that the cover which UNISON provides to its members in Health should be extended to its […]

Fair Pay for All Staff

Conference notes that under Agenda for Change 16 different factors have been invented and have been weighted so that: ·hard physical work gains a maximum of 25 points but; · ·knowledge, training and experience is worth 240 points; · ·25 points are available to recognise tough working conditions yet; · ·360 points are available to […]

Nursing Recruitment and Retention Campaign

As part of the national campaign to recruit and retain nursing staff in UNISON, conference agrees that resources should be made available to enable all regions to establish or enter into relevant partnerships with existing library and nursing services databases to ensure that access to this range of professional services becomes a recruiting tool for […]