Racist Attacks on Health Service Staff in Northern Ireland

Conference deplores the racist attacks carried out against our overseas colleagues working within the National Health Service. Conference commends the work of the Northern Ireland Region who have been at the forefront of highlighting and attempting to tackle the evils of racism. Conference therefore calls on UNISON to ensure the Government is lobbied to provide […]

Overseas Nurses Network

Conference notes the success of the Overseas Nurses Network in Scotland and therefore should seriously consider the setting up of an Overseas Nurses Network in England and Wales and an Overseas Nurses Network in Northern Ireland, thus emulating the good practise of our brothers and sisters in Scottish UNISON. Such a formation of Overseas Nurses […]

Support Staff with Mental Health Problems

This Conference is extremely concerned at the lack of support and help given to staff who has suffered from mental illness problems which have occurred due to the nature of their work. Many of our members suffer mental health problems through attacks by patients this leaves them traumatised, frightened and sometimes mentally scared for life. […]

Student Visa

Conference notes the issue of Student Visas to overseas nurses by British Embassies in various overseas countries, these applications in the main are being submitted by British Embassies by Agents who’s ethics are questionable. In most cases the applicant is being charged huge fees to have these applications processed by the Agents. Recruitment Agencies have […]

Agenda for Change

There have been a number of examples where management at Trust level have sought to undermine the “Partnership” arrangements for the implementation of AfC. This has led to a number of Staff Sides being excluded from negotiations on implementation of AfC. There have also been a number of examples where Trust’s have refused to implement […]

Privatisation of Sterile Services Departments

Last year’s health conference called for a halt to Department of Health’s (England) National Decontamination Strategy until full consultation had taken place with UNISON and other trade unions. It is clear that there has been no meaningful consultation and the Government and Department of Health are intent on pressing ahead with a strategy of privatisation […]

Agenda for Change and the Two-Tier Workforce

Conference notes the strategy being pursued by the Health Group Executive and Private Contractors Unit to ensure Agenda for Change is implemented by private contractors. Conference is also aware of other pressure to end the two-tier workforce in health and that last year’s Composite J called on the Health Group Executive to negotiate a deal […]

New Labour’s Continued Privatisation of the NHS

This Conference condemns the New Labour Government for its slice by slice privatisation of the NHS. In contrast with the extremely limited concessions on workers rights in the so called “Warwick Agreement”, New Labour has continued full steam ahead towards it’s goal of the full privatisation of the service. The latest gifts to big business […]

Cost of Living Supplements/High Cost Area Supplements

This conference notes that under the Agenda for Change Agreement, Cost of Living Supplements (COLS) are to be “re-expressed” as long-term Recruitment and Retention Premia. This measure simply perpetuates the fundamental injustice of COLS, which were introduced without negotiation in 2001, payable to nurses and other health professionals in some areas, but not paid to […]

Collective Responsibility

This branch calls upon the Service Group Executive to prepare further guidance and advice over the issue of collective responsibility of SGE Members.

Anti-Racist Strategy

This Conference supports UNISON’s anti-racist strategy and recommends that all lay and full-time activists on regional and national committees receive training around the strategy and it’s implications. Composite F passed at the 2004 health conference outlined how UNISON health branches could use the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to ensure employers are complying with their […]

Agenda for Change – Terms and Conditions

This Conference recognises the enormous amount of work from both partners in agreeing the Terms and Conditions Handbook for Agenda for Change. Much has been done to modernise and harmonise agreements. However as previously indicated in the proposed agreement a number of former national agreements will now need to be agreed at a local level. […]

Future Pay Awards

Conference notes and welcomes that with a 2006 pay settlement matching inflation we will have achieved a £6.00 minimum wage in April 2006. However Conference does not accept that the Agenda for Change agreement in any way precludes UNISON for fighting for further improvements in this or other fields and resolves that, in order to […]

Patient Transport Services and Privatisation

Ambulance Trust Staff are best suited to the safe, caring transportation of patients to and from hospitals or other care centres whatever their level of urgency. This conference is very concerned at the use of the private sector, and in particular security companies to carry out such duties. Cost cutting and insufficient numbers of in-house […]

35 Hour Working Week

Conference reaffirms its commitment to a 35 hour week. It notes that the main reason for Agenda for Change terms being 37 ½ hours is due to the shortage of nurses. As a consequence of this the agency bill for the NHS is outrageously enormous. Conference accepts that the Government has made some progress in […]