Some day my prints will come

Conference notes that, despite numerous protests including references to the National Retired Members’ Committee and motions to the National Retired Members’ Conference, the Conference Bulletin containing all the vital administrative information about this year’s Conference was made available on line only, with no paper notification. Further, there was again no notification to Branches or Retired […]

A Shift in Equality

Conference has seen the damaging effect the cuts in the policing budget has had in the workplace over the last few years and with the Conservatives winning a majority at the General Election in May it offers a bleak outlook for all working in policing. We have seen controls rooms reduced and centralised, Custody Suits […]

Never too old to Agitate, Educate and Organise

Conference notes that over 65s are a growing proportion of society. This will have an impact on trades unions in a number of ways since: 1. The workforce will include a growing number of workers for whom retirement gets later and later and who make new organising demands; 2. Retired members will form a growing […]

Dignified Endings

Conference notes that the Pensioners Charter of the National Pensioners Convention refers to dignity, respect and fair treatment of older people in all aspects of their lives. Conference further notes that the Dignity Code also produced by the National Pensioners Convention calls for individuals to make up their own minds and for personal wishes such […]

Stand up to anti immigrant racism in the NHS

Conference notes that since the current government came to power in 2010, public services have been subject to savage cuts. Consequently, despite growing demands on the health service because of an aging population, there has been a significant cut in staffing levels. Since the Mid-Staffordshire report on safe staffing levels, the health service has begun […]

Privatisation of the Probation Service

Conference notes that the tory government’s success in the general election means that they will now, undoubtedly, continue with their plans for the privatisation of the probation service. Clearly this has major implications for all UNISON members in the service, but there are particular issues facing women workers: 1) The majority of the redundancies in […]

CAMPAIGN FOR LIVING PENSIONS FOR THE ELDERLY AND R

Conference, elderly and retired people deserve to have a decent state pension. Conference asserts that the state pension is not a benefit but is ours by right. Conference believes that older people are being hit particularly hard by current austerity measures. The basic State Retirement Pension which for many on the 6th April, 2015 will […]

Rise of Racism in the UK

Conference, a recent study commissioned by NatCen, an organisation which looks into British Social Attitudes has overwhelmingly established that racism is on the rise. While thirty per cent of Britons described themselves as having “very or a little prejudice against people of other races”, the survey also outlined that attitudes have changed since the 1980’s […]

Health and Wellbeing

Conference welcomes all initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of our members, however there are concerns that need addressing as part of these initiatives namely: 1) Staff are unable to take the refreshment breaks they are entitled to during working hours. 2) Staff are not being paid for overtime worked and pressure is being […]

A SINGLE COMBINED FREE TRAVEL PASS FOR BUS AND RAI

The bus pass providing pensioners for free off peak bus travel in England and Wales has helped their mobility largely on a local basis. However, many pensioners find the cost of rail fares, even after using the 30% discount of a Senior Rail Card, an expensive hindrance to frequent visiting of friends and family across […]

DECENT WAGE RISE FOR STUDENTS

Conference calls on the Health Service Group Executive to take the lead in a campaign calling for a decent wage for healthcare students during their training. Conference recognises that healthcare students are required to work 37.5 hr on a rotational shift rota whilst on placement and actively participate in patient care often holding their own […]

Regional Collaboration

Many forces across the country will have an experience of shared service arrangements between forces sometimes know as collaboration. The North West is no exception to this but is concerned at the growth of collaboration arrangements that have, in our experience, proved to be an excuse for empire building and an opportunity to try and […]

Neighbourhood Policing Under Attack

Conference with further attacks on the police budget scheduled under the new Tory government over the next 5 years, we will see the concept of neighbourhood policing severely damaged and in some forces disappear completely. A recent report carried out by UNISON, the biggest union for police staff, shows that neighbourhood policing has taken more […]

Volunteers Vs Citizens in Policing

Conference welcomes UNISON’s Police & Justice report, “’Home Guard’ Of Police Support Volunteers To Fill In For Police Cuts”, published in October 2014, which shows the disparity between police forces in England and Cymru/Wales in their use of Police Support Volunteers (PSV), the roles they are asked to undertake and the extortionate cost of PSVs […]

REVIEW COMMUNICATIONS WITH RETIRED MEMBERS

Conference notes that communications between branch, regional and national levels remains unsatisfactory as far as UNISON retired members are concerned. Conference is also concerned that there has been a failure to produce updated literature on retired members matters such as the Branch Retired Members Secretary’s Handbook, the UNISON Code of Practice for Older People and […]