This Conference believes that the registration of individual retired members and retired member contacts is essential to the running of the National Retired Members Organisation. Conference, however, notes that there is no mention of the post of Branch Retired Members Section Secretary in the list of Branch Officers set out in both the National Rules […]
Conference motions
This Conference welcomes the reduction in qualifying years for a full National Insurance Pension to 30 years from April 20th 2010. Conference notes with concern however that the Government has refused to phase in the change and this will result in individuals being significantly disadvantaged. It will also cause unfairness and resentment among those women […]
Conference believes that Retired Members’ Conference should include Caucus Meetings for Black Members, Disabled Members, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Members and Women Members. This would establish parity with all the Conferences of their working counterparts who have had such meetings as part of their timetable virtually since UNISON’s inception in 1993. These meetings provide […]
Conference deplores the increasing incidence of mail, internet, phone and other scams aimed specifically at vulnerable elderly people. Tragic tales of elderly people sending off hundreds or thousands of pounds to bogus competitions, lotteries etc on the promise of a large cash prize are all too prevalent, and seem to be on the increase. Conference […]
Conference notes that the present policy for venues is to have alternating venue in the North and South of the country. Conference considers, however, that this policy means that excellent venues in Central England are being overlooked in places as diverse as Birmingham, Derby, Gloucester, Nottingham and Oxford. Conference believes that venues in Central England […]
Conference whilst accepting UNISON needs to prioritise working members’ issues, regrets the minimal support given to retired members in UNISON publications as well as the failure of some branches to maximise the potential of their retired members. Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee and calls on the National Executive Council to urgently address these […]
This conference calls upon the National Retired Members’ Committee and the National Executive Council to make representations to government on behalf of pensioners protesting against a reduction in the chiropody service through the closure of chiropody clinics.
It has been more than ten years since we were promised that all hospital wards would be ‘single sex’. We are now advised that this will now not be possible and that hospitals will be encouraged to work towards providing ‘single bays’ We recognise that whilst everyone is concerned by this decision we consider that […]
The presentation on legal migration is concerned with policy on the admission of workers to Britain for employment and on the entitlement of such workers once admitted. Government policy on economic migration was set out in the five year strategy announced in February 2005, “Controlling out Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain”. Among other things […]
Conference notes the alarming figures outlined in a research highlighting poverty amongst black groups. In April 2007 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a report confirming that the poverty rate for Britain’s minority ethnic groups stands at 40%, double the 20% found amongst white British people. Minority ethnic groups are also being overlooked for jobs […]
Conference notes the recent spate of knife, gang and gun-related murders of Black youths is deeply concerning. However, former Prime Minister, Tony Blair’s comments that Black communities fail to denounce these crimes and that Black culture is responsible for these tragedies is completely wrong. Black community groups and activists have highlighted that government response to […]
UNISON’s delegation to the National Assembly Against Racism AGM held in November 2007 heard a speech from Sakira Singh. Sakira Singh, a 14 year old school girl from South Wales has been repeatedly excluded from school because of wearing an article of faith – the Kara – that represents her belief. Prior to her exclusion, […]
An article cited in the Birmingham Metro newspaper, dated 31st October 2007, titled ‘Police do stop more Blacks’ referred to Black people being seven times more likely to be stopped and searched by Police than Whites. In addition the Ministry of Justice report confirmed that an extra 14,000 Black people were targeted by Stop and […]
At UNISON National Delegate conference in 2007 held in Brighton, Motion 12 – Under Participation and Headed “Black Members Self Organised Group – Possible Name Change” suggested that the title “Black Members Self Organised Group” was no longer adequate to reflect the ethnic diversity of our membership and could even prevent workers from Eastern European […]
The Equality Act 2006 dissolved the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission; to make provision about discrimination on grounds of religion or belief; to enable provision to be made about discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation; to impose duties relating to sex discrimination on persons performing public functions; […]