Conference asks the National Executive Council to fight for the following changes to the National Health Service to ensure the comfort and care of elderly and disabled patients: An extra dedicated member of staff will be made available to all elderly and disabled patients when they are admitted to hospital. This member of staff will […]
Conference motions
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 […]
The government has admitted that the introduction of compulsory identity cards and the establishment of a National Identity Register will not in itself overcome international terrorism. Likewise, it has been admitted that benefit fraud is only a tiny part of the problem in the benefit system. Given the cost of introducing the scheme and the […]
Conference notes that the first part of the Turner Commission Report on Pensions is published on Tuesday, 12 October. The report will not recommend specific policy solutions but provide a detailed analysis of the pensions crisis. Leaked information, which appeard in the national press on Sunday, 10 October, reveals that the Turner report has identified […]
Conference welcomes the decisions taken by this year’s National Delegate Conference to address the impact of devolution to the nations of the United Kingdom on UNISON’s structures and decision-making processes. UNISON has been at the forefront of campaigning for devolution, recognising the opportunities that different political structures provide to influence policy makers for the benefit […]
Conference expresses its concern at the proposals recently suggested by Coventry city and no doubt under consideration by other councils, to take steps to reduce the current council tax arrears, especially with regard to the draconian proposals for dealing with debt involving the elderly. These proposals including increases in the taking of bankruptcy proceedings, forcing […]
Conference notes the publication of the First Report of the Pensions Commission on Tuesday, 12 October 2004. In particular, Conference notes that the Commission has identified three ways to alleviate the pensions crisis: a)People must save more (compulsory savings cannot be ruled out); b)People must work longer; c)People must pay more (tax and/or contributions). Conference […]
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 […]
Conference welcomes the production of the pensioners’ manifesto by the National Pensioners’ Convention. The final version of the manifesto will include a summary of the main priorities as well as a costing of how the policies can be funded. This is a truly historic initiative to put forward a coherent set of pensioners’ demands at […]
Whilst appreciating the action taken by the government for those national insurance retired pensioners over the age of 70, by the one off payment of £100 to alleviate the effects of the rising council tax, Conference notes with regret that the government is still practising ageism by rewarding the £100 council tax relief only to […]
Visitors to the Conference are seated separately and are unable to vote, but they learn a lot about procedures which will be helpful in future if they become delegates. There does not seem however to be any reason why they should not attend the workshops which may also help them in the future and they […]
Important information is frequently presented in ways difficult to read as the type size may be too small and there may be insufficient colour contrast between the print and the paper. The computer seems to have made this problem more common. Examples can be found in newspapers, cooking instructions, information to do with financial matters […]
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 […]
Conference is alarmed at the threat to the Local Government Pension Scheme posed by the government’s plans to introduce amended regulations. Conference sees this as part of a wider move to undermine pensions in general. Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee and all retired members’ sections to support the TUC’s Pay Up For […]