Conference notes with concern that local government workers pay is falling behind other public and private sector workers. Many local authorities are trying to move away from NJC pay and conditions which could lead to regional or local pay. If this happens it is likely to divide UNISON members and further erode pay and conditions. […]
Conference motions
YOUNG WORKERS, APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES AND WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT Conference believes that there is a staffing crisis in local government, with around half a million jobs lost since the General Election in 2010 (mainly as a result of UK Government cuts in local authority funding). The cuts mean diminishing prospects for young people […]
Conference values local government’s history as an important part of the gender equality movement, acting as a key employer for women. Women make up 65% of local government staff and many of those women are low-paid and working part-time. Women are also more likely to use public services than men, and use them more intensively […]
Conference condemns the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition for the widespread and unprecedented destruction of public services that has resulted from the savage and unprecedented reductions in central government funding to local government, health, education, police, probation and the rest of the public sector. Public sector workers have borne the brunt of this in job losses, the […]
Male Violence against Women (26 26.1, 30, 31) Conference welcomes the decision by UNISON National Delegate Conference 2013, in passing Motion 8, to encourage women’s activism in our trade union. We recognise that this particular effort is necessary because, in a sexist society, women face particular obstacles to participation in all areas of life, including […]
Conference applauds the leadership and decision of the NJC Committee to ballot members for strike action starting on 10 July, following the derisory pay offer made by the Local Government Association on 21 March and the decisive vote by members to reject it in UNISON’s internal consultation. That every NJC region/nation returned a position to […]
Challenging Discriminatory Practices, Defending Public Services Conference as well as forming a significant part of the public sector workforce Black people are also primary users of public services. Cuts to funding are closing some services whilst putting significant pressure on remaining community and voluntary organisations supporting the Black and other vulnerable communities at a time […]
No Smears, Justice for the Lawrence Family Campaign This Conference is proud of the work and support UNISON has provided to the family of Stephen Lawrence since his murder 20 years ago. This racist murder in April 1983 marked the beginning of a long battle for the Lawrence family with the British police force, the […]
CEDAW (19 19.1,20) In July 2013 the UK Government was called to give evidence to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This requirement to give evidence happens every three years. Women’s organisations came together to produce a shadow report – that was given in evidence to CEDAW. The […]
This Conference congratulates UNISON’s hard work to create the Call Centre Charter, launched in 2012, which calls on all employers who have UNISON members working in a call centre or in call handling operations to commit to improving the standards which those staff operate under. However only one energy company has signed up to it […]
Conference notes that social work is a profession dominated by women. Social work is a gendered activity, in terms of both its workforce and client group and it is well documented that more women than men enter this area of work (‘Gender at Work: Characteristics of ‘Failing’ Social Work Students’. Sheila Furness. Division of Social […]
No Age Restrictions for Cervical Cancer Screening 10 years ago the age for Cervical Cancer screening rose from 20 to 25 in England followed by Northern Ireland in 2011, Wales in 2013 and Scotland due to rise in 2014. Cervical Cancer screening is available for all women aged between 25 & 65. Government guidelines state […]
This conference believes that the Government’s decision to raise the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate to 35 year olds was not subject to equality impact testing. It is well documented that women earn less than men and therefore find it harder to afford private sector rents. With the changes to eligibility for the 1 […]
In light of the recent United Nations evidence on the growing prevalence and impact of violence against women here and throughout the world, Council expresses extreme regret that UNISON NDC Conference 2013 defeated an amendment calling for women to be assumed to be telling the truth when they report abuse. Conference calls on the National […]
Conference recalls the 2012 Women’s conference resolution “Our tradition is equality and human rights”, which expressed concern that the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council had adopted a Russian resolution linking human rights to ‘traditional values’. It recognised that Russia was attempting to block progress on women’s rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) […]