Conference is delighted to acknowledge the success of the request of letters to Chief Executive’s asking them to report on the provision of services within Cultural and Leisure portfolios of local authorities. Conference agrees that the collation of this information allows us to share areas of good practice with other members and activists, which can […]
Conference motions
This Conference believes: 1.That after 8 years in power, the current Government has equalised the law for LGBT people in a number of areas including the new protection against homophobia at work, but has failed to deliver full legal equality for LGBT people; 2.This continuing inequality includes new partnership rights that fall short of full […]
Conference recognises that the UNISON publication “Equality and Inclusion: a public services agenda for Lesbians and Gay men” was an excellent publication for promoting our agenda and UNISON. This document was produced in 2001 and we have witnessed much legislative change over the past few years in the UK forum and also the devolved parliaments. […]
Conference notes that the proportion of delegates at UNISON Lesbian and Gay Conferences aged 50 and over was about 10% whereas about 30% of UNISON members are in this age group. Moreover, this showed little change from year to year and was reflected in membership of the National lesbian and gay Committee and, as far […]
Conference recognises that space is not made safe merely by declaring it so. Women disproportionately suffer inequality in our society and this has an impact on their self-confidence, on their ability to act as their own agents and on their perceptions of security. Because of such factors, women who attend conference experience the ‘space’ of […]
Conference notes that at present self-organised groups (as well as regions, the Young Members’ Forum and Retired Members) are only permitted to submit a total of two motions (including any rule amendments) to National Delegate Conference. Conference also notes that a proposal to increase this to four motions was defeated at National Delegate Conference in […]
Conference warmly welcomes the new disability equality duty that is due to come into force in December 2006, we believe this will provide UNISON with a great new organising tool as well as the opportunity to challenge disability discrimination at work and within public services. It is a strengthened version of the race duty – […]
Conference congratulates the Welsh Assembly in agreeing to eliminate the charges that the people of Wales pay for prescription charges. Already reduced to £4 per prescription item, and in the lifetime of the current Welsh Assembly there is commitment to having free prescriptions in Wales by the end of 2006. Conference notes that there are […]
The National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) was formed in 1979 to act as the umbrella organisation of the pensioners’ movement throughout the country. Affiliated groups include many national bodies and federations, associations of retired trade unionists, as well as hundreds of local and regional pensioner campaign groups. The NPC’s main objective is to promote the welfare […]
A House of Commons healthcare committee recently reported on the alarming prevalence of elder abuse. The report found that as many as half a million elderly people may be being abused. Elder abuse may take the form of sexual, physical and financial abuse, neglect and over-medication. Despite the extent of this problem, many people are […]
Conference believes that the distinction between nursing and personal care should be ended. It is completely unacceptable to charge old and/or disabled people for essential and needed personal care. Good quality personal and nursing care should be provided on the basis of need, free and without means-testing. Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to […]
Conference agrees that with £25 billion surplus in the National Insurance Fund that it is no longer a question of money but the lack of political will on the part of government. Taking into consideration the support received for the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) Manifesto in the run up to the general election and the […]
Conference notes the general practice of the travel insurance industry to impose extra premiums on the simple fact that the traveller is of pensionable age. In view of the European Union’s Directive on Ageism, due to be implemented in October 2006, Conference requests the National Executive Council to conduct a campaign in conjunction with other […]
Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee and the National Executive Council to closely monitor and make suitable representations to government with regard to the present ongoing revaluation of homes – which will inevitably result in changes to the banding levels with a detrimental effect on the elderly who are on a fixed income […]
Conference is aware that as members become older it becomes increasingly difficult and in some cases impossible to obtain suitable travel insurance especially on an annual policy basis, at a reasonable price. Our own UIA no longer offers an annual policy to those over 65 years and will only offer individual trips at highly inflated […]