Let’s Raise Awareness

Conference notes the exceptional Trans ally training scheme that our union has created and delivered to many Unison members. Our Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender + (LGBT+) National committee, it’s officers and the Transgender, Non Binary and Gender Diverse caucus must be applauded for the work and effort they have put into the training and […]

Hate Crime Equality

Elevating the offence of assault against the disabled community from an assault to an aggravated assault. We call upon conference to support the motion to elevate the offence of assault against a member of the disabled community from an assault to an aggravated assault by influencing the government to make changes to the law. Currently […]

Make our union documents and language inclusive to national reading age of 9

Conference notes that GOV.UK recommends that written communication is aimed at a reading age of 9 for readability. As a union we use many terms and specific language that people outside the union don’t use every day and don’t always understand. When a disabled person joins the union it is like being in a place […]

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Conference – with the publication of the Casey review, and with the first national Police National Database (PND) vetting of all staff and officers recently completed, the omission of the requirement to declare masonic membership still manages to duck the bullet. All staff and officers have to regularly complete vetting forms and declare membership or […]

MARCH WITH PRIDE

Conference notes with concern the decision in 2022 by London Pride that the Metropolitan Police could not march at Pride in uniform, and the decision in 2023 by Brighton Pride that Kent Police would not be welcome to march this year. However, Conference also notes the Baroness Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police reported “institutional […]

ORGAN DONATION

Conference notes that many thousands of people are waiting for life changing and life saving organ donation. Since 1 June 2023, the law around organ donation has changed from an opt-in to an opt-out system. It is hoped that this change will increase the number of organs donated. Whilst the majority of organs used for […]

AN ANTI RACISM CHARTER FOR ALL

Conference notes that on the 7th June 2023 the East of England Probation area signed up to UNISON Eastern Region’s Anti-Racism Charter. Whilst the Probation Service has a comprehensive work plan in relation to actions identified in a joint union employer survey on race, the feedback from members has been that the actions have taken […]

AGENCY STAFF CONTRACT REFORMS

Evidence has emerged that the Probation Service has spent and continues to spend millions of pounds on agency staff. Whilst it is acknowledged that agency staff are an asset that is vital in managing the work of the service, it is noted that a significant proportion of the money spent on their employment is taken […]

POLICE STAFF GRIEVANCES

Conference notes that analysis and scrutiny of grievances raised by Police Staff is not currently undertaken by the Service Group Executive (SGE). Conference believes that the SGE should have an overview of key issues raised by police staff through the grievance process to inform the national bargaining agenda. The SGE should have access to data […]

Neurodiversity Awareness

Despite the increasing recognition of neurodiversity, many people with neurodivergent conditions continue to face significant challenges in their daily lives. These challenges include stigma, discrimination, and a lack of understanding and support from society at large. This can lead to negative outcomes, such as unemployment, social isolation, and poor mental health. The purpose of this […]

Trial the 4-day work week

Conference believes it is time that Universities actively participated in 4-day work week trials. Universities are centres of research and innovation and many want to be ‘employers of choice’ (employers that people actively want to work for). They are the perfect institutions to try new approaches to work. Findings suggest that a 4-day week enhances […]

Building participation of Black members within branches

UNISON is a growing union, and we seek to recruit members from all backgrounds across thousands of workplaces, despite this many branches have found it difficult to recruit and engage with members from Black communities there are barriers both external and within UNISON that also impact on black participation. Some of the barriers include: 1)Black […]

Breaking down barriers to employment

Conference is concerned that the findings of a Parliamentary Work and Pension’s Committee which completed in July 2021 are being disregarded by the Tory government. The committee were clear that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) national programme for supporting disabled people is not working and that local level support is needed to break […]

Say NO to a Bill of Rights that REDUCES disabled and LGBT+ rights

Conference notes that the Conservative government has declared their intention to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a new Bill of Rights which they introduced to parliament on 22nd June 2022. The Bill of Rights would repeal the Human Rights Act (HRA), which directly incorporated into domestic British law rights set out in the […]

Trans Ally Training

Conference welcomes progress made by UNISON over many years in campaigning and negotiating for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) people both in work and in society. Despite these advances, many transgender people still experience serious abuse and discrimination on a daily basis, including in their workplaces. A disproportionate number of trans […]