Back Door Cuts in NHS Funding

Conference notes that ‘recycling’ money, annual ‘efficiency savings’, ‘top-slicing’ for different purposes, ‘brokerage’ and multiple announcements of the same pots of new money have long been features of Government funding of the NHS. Making sense of the direct funding of individual Trusts has become a nightmare, even before variable, activity-based funding and PFI contracts are […]

Recruitment of Overseas Nurses and Carers

Conference notes the continued recruitment of Overseas Nurses and Carers into the Healthcare Sector of the United Kingdom and in particular those recruited to work in the Private Healthcare Sector. UNISON has been at the forefront of many initiatives to highlight the exploitation of overseas nurses, and a number of helpful initiatives have emerged. Despite […]

Unsocial Hours and Agenda for Change

Conference notes that negotiations are to continue later this year on harmonised unsocial hours payments under AfC. 1.Conference believes that unsocial hours payment should be directly linked to unsocial hours worked as in the current Whitley system; 2.Conference does not believe that the introduction of a percentage addition to basic pay, dependant on average unsocial […]

Funding for Back-Fill to Implement Agenda for Change

Conference notes that just prior to the Special Conference on Agenda for Change the Government announced £30 million would be made available to support the funding of back-fill for union activists to enable us to implement it properly. This was then clarified as being £15 million in 2004/5 and £15 million in 2005/6. Facility time […]

Agenda for Change

Conference notes that the Agenda for Change proposals were accepted in the ballot of UNISON members and are now being implemented. Acceptance and implementation do not mark the end of the process of negotiations on new terms and conditions and pay structure but only an interim stage. Conference affirms that UNISON regards Agenda for Change […]

Sector Committees

Conference notes that with the introduction of Agenda for Change and the demise of the Whitley Councils, UNISONS National Sector Committees come under the spotlight. Areas currently covered by National Sector Committees are: Administrative and Clerical Ambulance services Ancillary and Maintenance Nursing and midwifery Professional and Technical “B” PT “A” (Professions allied to medicine) Senior […]

False Allegations

Many of us have fought for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are there is very little in the way of information and support. Many of our members work alone with another female/male […]

Communications

Soon after the formation of UNISON, National Conference agreed that the retired members would have a National Retired Members’ Manager appointed, with the duties of servicing the needs of the retired members. It was believed by the Conference that this would solve the problems of communication between members, branches, regions and head office with regard […]

Pensioner Poverty Trap

Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to take appropriate steps to ensure that the government addresses the issue of the erosion of pensioners’ increases by the high annual increase to such charges as council tax and public utilities. Conference also notes that UNISON has established a council tax working group to establish clear UNISON […]

Investment in Public Transport

This Conference welcomes recent initiatives by the Government to invest in public transport within West Yorkshire, such as YellowBus, Yorcard and real time information, but notes with great concern that this is insufficient to redress the Tory legacy of inadequate investment in public transport provision. This Conference also notes that despite the recent problems with […]

Government 10 Year Transport Plan – The Role of the Workforce

Conference welcomes the Government’s decision to review progress on achieving the aims of its 10 Year Transport Plan which, so far, has failed to produce any major improvements in public transport provision, significantly reduce road congestion and reduce deaths and casualties on out roads and railways. Conference notes that policy makers often overlook the role […]

Home Care Inspections

The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) is a new, independent public body set up under the Care Standards Act 2000, to regulate social care and private and voluntary health care services. From 1 April 2002 the NCSC took responsibility for the registration and inspection of services including care homes, replacing the previous system of inspection […]

Widows’ Pension Rights

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.

Council Tax/Pension Increase

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 Attendance Quotas

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.