Since the Equality Act (2010) introduced the specific protected characteristic of pregnancy and maternity, discrimination laws have improved working and maternity conditions for new mothers. However, the law is still quite complicated for new mothers and navigating their way through entitlements can often appear daunting and with many employers also not knowledgeable enough to administer […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the strong evidence that cuts to the public sector affect women more than men. 65% of public service workers are women and almost a quarter of working women are in public sector jobs. Job cuts, pay freezes and changes to terms and conditions in the public sector are impacting more on women than […]
Promoting Development of Women Activists UNISON has a proud record of delivering union based learning for both members and activists; we recognise that many women become involved as stewards, Health and Safety Reps, Learning Reps and Equality Reps by being involved in courses provided by UNISON. We have long been proud of the fact that […]
Football is part of our national culture, none more so than when the World Cup is played and our four great nations are entered in to the play offs. Yet each year our police forces prepare around the rise of domestic abuse and violence as the statistics have shown. Football in its self is only […]
As we look back over a year of celebrating women’s suffrage and some women gaining the right to vote, it has become all too apparent that our women, working class women are rarely recognised or documented in history. The celebrations we have been part of has been brilliant for raising awareness of the difference women […]
Periods are a fact of life for women everywhere, yet they are still by many regarded as a stigma which cannot be discussed, and which women should just endure quietly without inconveniencing anyone. While some women suffer only mild symptoms many suffer severe debilitating pain and cramps every month. Ahead of International Day of the […]
Issues surrounding menstrual health and the impact on the working lives of women are largely hidden from society. Research conducted by YouGov finds that 91% of women have experienced period pain at some point in their working life. 57% of women in employment suffering from period pain say that it has affected their ability to […]
#MeToo has transformed the debate around sexual harassment, with cases being reported in the media more than ever before. UNISON needs to ensure that the voices of working women are highlighted in the #MeToo debate, and that young women know UNISON can support them in cases of sexual harassment. The Young Women’s Trust found in […]
This Conference Notes that: It is recognised that the role of women in society has changed dramatically because the changes to The State Pension Age has forced most women to continue working for an extra 6 years. Statistics show that around 3.34 million women are carers and many women find themselves having caring responsibilities for […]
This conference notes 1)UNISON’s position in recognising a women’s right to choose. 2)The decision to terminate a pregnancy is a difficult one for a woman. 3)That women often face protests outside clinics and hospitals when seeking an abortion. Furthermore this conference notes that: Despite the Abortion Clinic Review undertaken by the Home Office identifying at […]
Last year’s women’s conference agreed that organising among low paid women should be a union priority. It was shown that shockingly more than half of UNISONs women members meet the criteria of being classed as low paid. Conference discussed the fact that fragmented workforces are often blamed as to why organising amongst this group of […]
Under the 1995 Pensions Act a timetable was drawn up to equalise the age at which men and women could draw the state pension. In the 2011 Pensions Act the new qualifying age of 65 for women was brought forward to 2018, a move that has seen 3.9 million 1950’s women lose out. The 2011 […]
For every woman pregnancy is the start of a new chapter full of emotional ups and downs. Making plans for the future as a family, the excitement and anticipation of waiting for the pitter patter of tiny feet. Whether this is their first pregnancy or not, all women will be anxious until their baby is […]
Conference believes that Black women are still hugely under-represented in senior roles at work. Research has shown that positions of power in every sector of society are dominated by men. Research conducted by Operation Black Vote and the Guardian newspaper found that only 3.5% of Black people are at the top of UK’s leading 1000 […]
CAMPAIGNING FOR SAFETY WITHIN THE SOCIAL CARE WORKFORCE Conference notes that women make up over 3/4 of the Health and Social Care Workforce, with an even larger proportion of women directly delivering care to service users within a home care environment. The experiences of nurses and care workers who provide health and social care at […]