Women and Pensions

Conference recognises the current crisis surrounding pensions and all our futures upon retirement. We also recognise that for women the situation is far worse than that of men and are, therefore, grateful for the work that UNISON continues to do with the Fawcett Society on the inequality for women in our pensions systems. Conference welcomes […]

Sexual Violence

Conference notes with concern the findings of the ICM opinion poll commissioned by Amnesty International which indicates that a third of people in the United Kingdom believe that a woman is partially or totally responsible for being raped. The Amnesty report Sexual Assault Research published on 21 November 2005 shows that 26 per cent of […]

OVARIAN CANCER

Conference is concerned at the increasing number of women suffering from ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer amongst women in the UK and is known as the silent killer. Every year about 6,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with this disease, the majority of these cases […]

HEALTHY MINDS AT WORK

Conference welcomes the decision of the European Social Fund equality programme to award £2.45 million to Healthy Minds at Work in Wales. Conference notes that UNISON Cymru/Wales are founding members of the development partnership. Research has shown that twice as many women than men in the United Kingdom have a diagnosis of a depressive illness. […]

NHS Pensions – Benefits Payable to Surviving Spouses of NHS Staff

Conference notes that the NHS pension scheme regulations currently allow married males employed in the NHS to leave their widow a pension based on length of service from 24 March 1972. However, conference notes with concern that married female employees, and now those who enter into civil partnerships, can only have their length of service […]

Public Sector duty on Gender

Conference notes that the Public Sector duties on gender will come into force in April 2007 as part of the wider Equalities legislation. The Gender Equality Duty will require service providers and public sector employers to design employment and services with the different needs of women and men in mind. As the largest employer of […]

Managers in Partnership

This conference welcomes the advent of Managers in Partnership (MIP) which was highlighted as an innovation in the provision of trade unionism. The venture between UNISON and the First Division Association has created a new vehicle for senior managers in the health service and related services, and conference acknowledges the excellent work performed by the […]

Pay Claim and Pay Submission for 2006/7

This Conference is critical of the way that the submission to the Pay Review Body and the drawing up of a pay claim for non-Pay Review Body staff were dealt with for 2006/07. The Staff Side evidence which was submitted to the Pay Review Body for 2006/07 did not comply with the policy on the […]

Representation of Members in Non-Core Employers

This conference recognises that fragmentation of our branches in the conventional sense is taking place. Service Group Executive members on UNISONs ‘Structures Review Group’ should urgently address the range of facilities afforded by employers. This is called for in the face of the most advanced package of changes in the NHS yet faced by branches. […]

Subsistence & Overnight Allowances For NHS Staff

A significant number of NHS staff are required to work away from their base for most of their working time (e.g. Blood Transfusion Staff going to rural communities to reach donors, or staff operating mobile breast screening units). Other NHS staff often find that they are required to work in the evenings that results in […]

Lone Working

That this Conference congratulates UNISON Service Group on the work it is presently undertaking to ensure staff safety at work. Conference furthermore maintains that in areas where Patients/Clients/Residents are particularly vulnerable for example “Persons with Learning Difficulties” that UNISON opposes the move to “Lone Working” at Night. As this not only compromises the safety of […]

Agenda for Change Terms & Conditions Handbook

Conference notes that the Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions Handbook: ·had to be concluded by a pre-agreed deadline ·was not widely available to UNISON’s lay membership before the Agenda for Change ballot ·leaves around a hundred terms open to local negotiation rather than the nineteen or so originally envisaged ·is often unclearly-expressed or ambiguous […]

Spinal/Muscular Skeletal Disorders in Health Staff

This Conference recognises the advances made in Health & Safety with regards to manual handling and the advent of ‘non-handling trusts.’ However for many of our members the damage has already been done. It is far too common for health staff to suffer spinal and other muscular/skeletal disorders resulting in disability in later life and […]

Chief Nursing Officer Review of Mental Health Nursing 2005/06

UNISON’s Nursing Sector has been heavily involved and influential in the recent Chief Nursing Officer (England) Review of Mental Health Nursing. Unison responded at length to the review consultation, making many observations and recommendation that are taken up in the published report. The Nursing Sector provided three representatives to the Reference Panel which assisted in […]

Ambulance Service Review

This Conference notes the forthcoming reorganisation of Ambulance Trusts in England in line with the proposed reconfigured Strategic Health Authority boundaries, in addition to the many other recommendations contained in the report “Taking Healthcare to The Patient”. Conference endorses the UNISON response document to the report and in particular that UNISON is broadly in favour […]