Hate Crime – on the increase in times of austerity

Racist and other violence motivated by hatred towards a particular group is a common problem in Europe and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately with attacks reported on ethnic and religious minorities, asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people and other vulnerable groups in recent years hate crime seems to be on the […]

DISABLED BLUE BADGE

West Midlands Region and Conference calls upon the National Disabled Members Committee (NDMC) to campaign to make Employers recognise that not all disabled employees have blue badges and that they may not be eligible for such a badge but still require car parking provision close to their place of employment. UNISON believes that disabled members […]

New changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

This Conference is gravely concerned that government austerity measures in welfare reform have failed to respond to the access needs of Deaf people in its move from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payments. Whilst government has recognised British Sign Language as the fourth indigenous language of the UK it has consistently failed that it […]

Welfare Reform

This Conference asserts its opposition to the Government’s attacks on the benefit system and that disabled people are at the forefront of these attacks. This Conference is gravely concerned that disabled people will experience substantial detriment from these changes, particularly the replacement of Disability Living Allowance with the so-called Personal Independence Payment .The emerging evidence […]

Work Capacity Assessment and the Denial of Disability

This conference rejects without qualification the revised Work Capability Assessment (WCA) that underpins the Government’s drive to deny people who are sick or disabled the financial support they need because they cannot secure paid work. Thousands of disabled people’s lives are being turned upside down by the new assessment regime used to decide eligibility for […]

Disabled Member’s right to travel; a concession under threat

This Conference is appalled to learn that almost as soon as disabled people have been afforded the right of freedom to be mobile throughout the country by extended facilities to concessionary fares their right to mobility has been stripped away by local authorities’ decision to withdraw provision as part of their response to government funding […]

Outsourcing, procurement and shared services – the adverse impact on disabled workers

Conference views with increasing concern, the acceleration of the outsourcing, procurement and sharing of public sector services. In many cases the default position of most public sector service providers it to “soft market test” their services in order to identify a “preferred bidder” for the eventual privatisation of services. This will normally be the prelude […]

Fit Notes

Conference the fit note replaced the sick note system on the 6th April 2010 and yet people still refer to it as a sick note. The fit note system states that if an individual wishes to return to work before the date specified on the fit note they can do so without seeing their doctor. […]

Transport Cuts and Disabled People

Conference is concerned about the level of bus services in both towns and rural areas of the country. These are being cut because of the policies of this Tory led Government. While transport in London is being improved and expanded the rest of the country are suffering. Bus services were supported by the previous Labour […]

Accessible public transport

Disabled people are restricted in their mobility due to a lack of accessible public transport. There are very few hackney carriages that can take motorised wheelchairs. There is restricted space on public buses to accommodate disabled users. There are not enough accessible facilities on trains to accommodate disabled users. There is a shortage of private […]

Bank raid on disabled workers entitlements

The current global financial climate is causing profound difficulties for the most vulnerable in society. The Con-Dem Government has launched major attacks on the welfare of disabled people. Reforms to the benefits system mean many of the benefit payments to disabled people will be cut or removed. Access to Work, a system that has been […]

Assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

The Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is to be replaced from 2013/14 with the new Personal Independence Payment. It is completely clear that the Con-Dem multi-millionaire Government are introducing it to reduce the overall public budget devoted to giving allowances to disabled workers. Already the draft criteria for assessment of Personal Independence Payment rely heavily on […]

Cuts and the Black Members Experience

Black members are on the brink of economic meltdown from the coalition governments’ cuts, scapegoating and hypocrisy. The cuts to public services have directly affected Black members and the most vulnerable in our society, creating anger and a real sense of injustice. Conference is deeply concerned that despite over 40 years of anti-racism legislation, Black […]

BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE

The public sector cuts have had an unprecedented impact on women, with increasing numbers accepting redundancy and voluntary early severance. Those women who are left in the workplace are experiencing an increase in stress as work pressures mount and bullying, in its various manifestations increases. This is also affecting vulnerable clients, as our professional members […]

FLEXIBLE WORKING OPTION FOR ALL

Conference notes that despite numerous attempts to ensure that employers have a consistent approach to dealing with flexible working requests, there are still widespread differences. As those most likely to be in caring roles are women, this disadvantages women far more than men. Particularly in these challenging times of financial constraints on employers, it is […]