A fair deal for apprentices in the NHS

Conference notes that the NHS is employing an increasing number of apprentices. In England for example, there were nearly 15,000 apprentice starts in 2014/15 and Health Education England has set a target for the NHS in England to take on another 17,500 during 2015/16. This figure will increase further following the government’s recent introduction of […]

The NHS Funding Crisis

Conference is appalled at the ongoing under-funding of our NHS. Conference refutes the claims of the Westminster government to have protected the NHS from spending cuts. Conference asserts that since 2010 NHS spending has failed miserably to keep pace with the spiralling costs of healthcare caused by increased demand, an ageing population and expensive new […]

Pay determination across the UK

Conference welcomes the report of the Health Service Group Executive’s Devolution Working Group on pay determination across the four countries in the UK. Conference acknowledges that whilst responsibility for determining pay in the UK is a devolved function, UNISON remains committed to maintaining and improving pay for NHS workers across the UK. Conference believes the […]

NHS Tariffs and the impact on staff

Conference is concerned that the complex tariff system in operation in the NHS may disadvantage some services, and consequently our members that provide those services. The tariffs result in lower levels of funding for those services, leading to difficulty in recruiting; staff shortages; increased workload and less flexibility, thus impacting on the health and wellbeing […]

HOME VISITS

NICE recently recommended that home visits should be a minimum of 30 minutes. Conference calls on the HSGE to work with Government and NHS Employers to ensure this recommendation becomes the norm, and also to ensure staffing levels in the NHS are adequate so that Employers can implement such visits.

MOTION ON PAY FROM THE LONDON AMBULANCE SERVICE BRANCH

As organisations defending and promoting the interests of workers, pay is central to the function of Trade Unions. The achievement of the national NHS pay and conditions system, still known as Agenda for Change, represents a major development for UNISON, and for other NHS Trade Unions. The defence of this system and the lodging and […]

Increased Involvement of Consultancy Companies in the NHS

This Conference views with disgust, that the large consultancy, legal and accountancy firms have been increasing their financial turnover and profits from the public purse strings across the NHS. Trusts spending on them doubled between 2010 and 2014 to £640 million – enough to pay for three medium-sized hospitals. For all of 2014 the NHS […]

Closer Working with Students’ Unions

Conference notes the vital importance of expanding the spirit and ethos of trade unionism amongst students. To this end, as a highly politically sensitive area of the union, we need to foster closer relations with students unions through the UK. Students, as a group of ‘consumers’, need to realise that with increased tuition fees, they […]

Higher Education deserves Fair Pay

Conference notes that Higher Education pay and conditions continue to erode following the year on year meagre pay offer from UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association). We know that Universities budget for a figure higher than what is eventually offered by the UCEA negotiators. UK Universities have been described by the Tory Chancellor as the […]

Assessing the value of the Race Equality Charter Mark for Black staff and students in Public Services/Higher Education

Conference, the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) piloted a Race Equality Charter Mark with the aim to inspire a strategic approach to making cultural and systemic changes that will make a real difference to Black staff and students. The Charter covered: a)Professional and support staff b)Academic staff c)Student attainment, diversity of the curriculum and progression of […]

New ways of working and reasonable adjustments

Conference notes that government cuts mean employers are looking for new ways of working to save money without cutting jobs. Often referred to as Lean or Agile Working, these methods were developed by Toyota and are predominantly used in manufacturing industries. If implemented correctly they can bring financial savings and improve working conditions. While we […]

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) staff working overseas

Conference recognises over the last 10 years there has been a massive growth in UK University’s opening overseas facilities, UK Universities are also increasingly involved in offshore campus partnerships. Conference believes that working overseas can be beneficial, both professionally and personally, for the members involved and can provide a new and challenging context for teaching, […]