Conference applauds the Law Lords for their landmark decision on 30 January 2008 ruling that courts will in future have discretion to extend the six-year limit for claimants in cases of deliberate assaults. Conference congratulates Mrs A for her persistence in pursuing this for 20 years and supports her in her claim for substantial damages […]
Conference motions
This conference is pleased to note the research commissioned by Harriet Harman as part of her key priorities. This report published on Tuesday 29th January 2008 confirms that advertising women for sex is widespread in local and regional newspapers. Three quarters of the papers examined for the research carried advertisements for women or services offered […]
Conference notes the announcement in the Queens Speech in November 2007 that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill would start its progress through the House of Lords almost immediately and would be debated in the House of Commons in the Spring of 2008. Whilst not the primary focus of this piece of legislation, the first […]
Conference notes the ‘Moving On up’ report published by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) IN March 2007 which found that Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi girls obtain better GCSE grades , including Maths and English than white British boys. Yet Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women graduates seeking work are five times more likely to be unemployed […]
This conference welcomes the framework agreement which has rolled out Agenda for Change into the private contractors who currently operate in the NHS. Conference believes that this should apply to the whole agreement and is concerned that a commitment to learning and development of staff may be lost. Conference calls on the Health Service Group […]
Conference notes that the current unsocial hours review proposals exclude on-call arrangements that are to be dealt with separately. Conference also notes that on-call arrangements have a particular relevance for minority staff groups, including those represented through UNISON’s Professional and Technical B Sector, and have a lesser impact on the majority of NHS staff and […]
Conference notes with concern the continuing threat to Patient Transport Services (PTS) posed by privatisation including a reduction in patient transport care levels and the creation of a two-tier PTS workforce. Conference also notes the damaging effect this outsourcing has on NHS Ambulance Trusts’ capacity to provide comprehensive back up and support to their front […]
Since the implementation of Agenda for change, many NHS employers have discontinued the practice of paying ‘mufti’ allowance . A Q& A issued from the Staff Council stated: Section 19, annex O “We have been asked for advice on ‘MUFTI’ allowances. There is no national provision for this within Agenda for Change. MUFTI is not […]
This conference is becoming increasingly alarmed at reports from across the United Kingdom that learning disability (LD) nurse training is being discontinued or is only taking place in one regional centre. We are also concerned that this seems to be occurring with no proper discussion with the unions, Trusts, carers or service users themselves. There […]
Conference notes the continued threat to health & well being of health care staff caused by needlestick injuries. Some estimates put the total number of exposures in the UK to blood borne viruses (HIV, Hep C & Hep B) in healthcare settings caused by sharps injuries as high as 100,000. It also notes with alarm […]
Conference recognises the commitment given by many UNISON representatives to the implementation of Agenda for Change through their participation in the matching, job analysis, evaluation and review procedures. This is in addition to the development of job descriptions and ksf post outlines. Over the last 3 years there have been hundreds of reps that have […]
Conference recognises that many of the attacks on the NHS over the last few years have centred on Administrative and Clerical staff. These include: – 1)Outsourcing and offshoring medical secretarial work; 2)Centralisation of payroll functions; 3)Privatisation of payroll functions; 4)The wholescale privatisation of logistics in England. As the pressure for “efficiency savings” grows, workforce plans […]
Conference welcomes the re-launch of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) in 2007 and recognises that this aspect of Agenda for Change had been severely compromised by financial constraints. Despite these positive developments Conference remains concerned that resources allocated for application of staff training and development including the KSF are most vulnerable in times of […]
This conference notes: The ruling made under the democracy in UNISON guidelines which prevented branches from campaigning for or against this year’s pay offer, following no recommendation from the service group. This Conference believes: This ruling is a new interpretation – inconsistent with the practice during the agenda for change debates and ballot. In this […]
Conference notes that under the banner of Keep the NHS Working, UNISON continues to campaign at every level against the marketisation and privatisation of the NHS. By maintaining a high profile in the press and media, among ministers, politicians, employers and key influencers, UNISON has been effective in drawing attention to its concerns at the […]