In 2003 access to benefits offices by pensioners was replaced with the new Pensions Service, part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Pensions Service will be centralised with most business being conducted by telephone or post, resulting in the following for pensioners: 1)the withdrawal of drop-in facilities for pensioners from local benefit […]
Conference motions
Good communication is vital to ensure the future of the Retired Members’ Organisation and this is dependent upon accurate records of retired members and retired member contacts being maintained. Rule G.4.2.2 states that the Branch Secretary shall co-operate with the union’s Head Office in keeping a record of all members’ names, addresses and work groups […]
Conference notes that pensioners in Wales, Greater London, the West Midlands, (former county area), and elsewhere have obtained free concessionary travel. Conference believes that the time is now right to launch a concerted campaign to obtain free transport throughout Great Britain. Such free transport to mean the introduction of a pensioners’ travel card for both […]
Conference urges the National Retired Members’ Committee and UNISON’s National Executive Council to strongly support the National Pensioners’ Convention in achieving the free travel pass on all public transport for those reaching the accepted national retirement age and over and to make every effort to ensure that pressure is put on the Government to achieve […]
Conference notes the work done at Retired Members’ Conference 2002 in the workshop on Organising Retired Members. Conference recognises that retired members play a key role in supporting the organising and recruitment aims of UNISON. Not all retired members have previously been active in the trade union, and those who are experienced activists need their […]
Conference requests the National Executive Council to call for a review of the carer’s allowance paid by the Government and the abolition of the rule that the allowance is abated or cancelled once the carer has retired and is in receipt of a pension of £43.15 or more per week.
Conference urges the National Retired Members’ Committee to use its best endeavours to obtain the support of the National Executive Council in establishing a fair and equitable balance between annual pension increases and annual council tax increases by way of appropriate rebate.
Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to establish a fair quota system relating to branch members attending National Retired Members conference. Their proposals to be submitted to the 2004 National Retired Members Conference.
Conference urges the National Executive Council to take every possible action, including under the Human Rights Act 1998 if appropriate, to remedy the injustices, inequalities and discrimination contained in the Local Government Pensions Scheme Regulations in relation to members’ provision for widows and widowers of post-retirement marriages.
Conference notes the statements made by Robin Cook and Clare Short at the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 17 June 2003, that reaffirmed our belief that the basis for war in Iraq was unjustified. They believed that information from the intelligence services showed that, far from being prepared for an immediate response with Weapons of […]
Conference remains concerned that, despite the relative health of the UK economy compared to other industrialised countries, there are still enormous imbalances between the health of the private services sector and the decline of manufacturing, between regions and between the rich and the poor. There is also a vulnerability to the collapse of a debt-financed […]
Conference requests the National Executive Council to seek all means to implement the present law relating to motorised vehicles and cycles and anything that obstructs the use of pavements, walkways, pedestrian areas and verges as this endangers the physical security of legitimate users with specific reference to senior citizens.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to seek legal advice regarding the setting up, by individual UNISON retired members, of a tenants in common agreement which relates to privately owned property.
Conference wishes to express its concern that local authorities across the country are raising the cost of non-residential personal or nursing care to those most vulnerable who rely on these important services. Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee to ask the National Executive Council to mount a campaign under the “Right to Care” […]
Conference supports the movement for fairer trade with developing countries in the struggle against poverty and unjust trade terms. Conference endorses the Fairtrade standards set up by the Fairtrade Foundation. These standards guarantee that fairly traded products like tea, coffee or textiles are bought at a price which not only covers the cost of production, […]