Conference is concerned that there is a section of the women�s membership that don�t have access to computers, including low paid women or those who may not be computer literate. As a consequence, they are losing out on vital information pertaining to issues that directly affect women, for example the menopause or maternity/parental rights etc.Conference […]
Conference motions
The NHS was created over 70 years ago. It is the jewel in the crown of Britain and a radical achievement of the Labour Party. Established just 3 years after the end of World War ll. Aneurin Bevan�s ambition was to build a health service based on 4 principles: Free at the point of use, […]
Conference notes that:Women who give birth prematurely, currently have the same amount of maternity leave as a woman whose pregnancy goes full term. A woman who has a premature baby would have to start their 12 month maternity leave from the day of the birth, regardless of whether they are already on maternity leave.Babies born […]
Conference, in 2017 a motion was proposed to this conference following the publication of a report by the TUC in 2016 entitled ��Still Just A Bit of Banter��. This report highlighted the ubiquitous sexual harassment that was going on in our workplaces, and even more concerning, the lack of reporting of this harassment to employers […]
“This Conference notes:2020 is the 50th Anniversary of the introduction of The Equal Pay Act.Conference celebrates the successes of UNISON in using the legislation to achieve equal pay for large numbers of its low paid women members, in particular those in local government. Conference welcomes that in 2017 the Government introduced compulsory gender pay gap […]
“Conference notes that the gender pay gap figures produced on 31 March 2019 stated that the current gender pay gap has risen slightly to 14.2% from 14% the year before. Whilst the public sector pay data is 4% lower than the overall pay gap across all sectors, it is concerning that it is rising in […]
Conference note there are pockets of excellent practice around support for women workers during the perimenopause and menopause. For example, Newcross Hospital have successfully rolled out �Menopause Workshops� for staff. Staff are given paid time off to attend and receive advice, guidance and support from a range of professionals. Feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly […]
Conference notes that the definition of menopause is a lack of menstruation for one full year. It usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55 but it can develop before or after this age range. Trans, non binary and inter-sex people may also be affected. Every menopause experience is unique.Symptoms can include hot flushes, […]
Conference Notes: The primary role of UNISON, or any Trade Union, is to use the collective power of its members to deliver lasting and significant improvements to pay, pension rights and working conditions. The results of each annual round of pay negotiations, is a good indicator of the extent to which this Service Group is […]
Conference Notes: Many UNISON members in the higher education sector continue to suffer the effects of poverty wages. Whilst some progress has been made campaigning for universities to become Living Wage Employers, or at least agreeing to pay the equivalent, some are refusing to consider this very basic and reasonable demand. Many senior managers point […]
Conference will recall carrying the motion ‘Trans inclusion in higher education workplaces’ in 2017 welcoming trans members active participation in UNISON and accepting trans equality must be addressed in all workplaces. This motion also endorsed the recommendations of the Parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry into Transgender Equality, which called for higher education institutions (HEIs) […]
Conference notes that although Higher Education institutions often pride themselves on the services they offer to disabled students, when it comes to their disabled staff it can sometimes be a different story. Many of our disabled members in Higher Education find that they struggle to access reasonable adjustments. In some cases the employer agrees to […]
Conference has in recent years passed a number of motions relating to helping to tackle the issues around mental health conditions such as encouraging employers to sign up to “Time to change “ or become “Mindful employers”. This has helped to shape the service group’s policy on supporting individuals with existing mental health conditions as […]
The UK’s higher education support staff workforce comprises 63% women and over 40% of university support staff are aged 46 and over. The menopause is experienced by women primarily between the ages of 45 to 55, although some may experience it earlier, and it can continue for many years. Symptoms associated with the menopause include […]
UNISON HE conference notes: 1)The Earth’s temperature has already risen by 1.1 degree above pre-industrial levels and that the amount of sheet ice lost annually from the Antarctic has increased six-fold between 1979-2017. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report last autumn warned that we only have 12 years to keep global warming to […]