Conference notes that: 1)employers are adopting increasingly Draconian procedures which allow for an increase in the disciplining and dismissal of genuinely ill employees; 2)these procedures sometimes fail to abide by equalities legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act; 3)sickness absence can often be traced back to the workplace; 4)employers’ actions such as holding vacant posts, increased […]
Conference motions
This Conference is dismayed by the lack of success in negotiating a change in rules regarding continuous service. A motion was unanimously passed three years ago and yet still people who leave and come back to Local Government have to start building up service time to count for extra annual leave from scratch. We urge […]
Conference welcomes the new individual employment rights for 2007 but believes that there needs to be a fresh push for an increase in collective trade union rights. In particular, Conference notes the extension of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) regulations for undertaking with greater than 100 employees and the following parts of the […]
This is a time of unprecedented change in public services. The government’s reform of our public services seldom translates into anything other than a liberalisation agenda, with markets opened up to the private sector on the false premise that there will be more choice for the ‘consumer’, namely user of public services. The evidence of […]
This Conference notes that the government has spent thousands of millions of pounds on the war and occupation in Iraq, and is now considering spending further millions on renewing the trident nuclear submarines and missiles. This is at the same time as the government is forcing NHS Trusts to cut their expenditure in order to […]
There has been much media speculation of late that overseas nurses will be barred from employment in an attempt to help home grown candidates. This speculation is surprising given that the UK has been in a dilemma for a number of years owing to the massive shortage of qualified specialist nurses. Indeed, the government has […]
Conference notes with deep concern the scale of cuts inflicted on the NHS, particularly over the last two years, with reports of thousands of job losses, and the closure of wards, departments and threats to close whole hospitals in many parts of the country. Conference also notes the powerful local public resistance to these cuts, […]
Conference notes UNISON’s campaign for Healthcare Assistants to be regulated, and the outcome of our consultation identified their wish to be regulated by the Health Professions Council. However, Conference also notes with strong concern that training for HCAs has been cut back in many areas as a result of the financial crisis, caused by the […]
This Conference asks the Service Group Executive to mount national action to drive forward the Zero Tolerance campaign of no verbal abuse, aggression or unacceptable behaviour towards healthcare staff. Conference is particularly concerned at the growing problem of aggression from visitors to frontline staff such as bedside nurses working in clinical areas in High Dependency, […]
This conference welcomes the establishment of the TUC and non-TUC Health Trade Unions ‘NHS Together’ campaign which in conjunction with the UNISON ‘Say YES to 5 Healthier Options’ campaign provides a campaigning strategy to keep the NHS working in the public sector. This conference supports and applauds the leadership role provided by UNISON’s Healthcare Service […]
Conference welcomes the creation of the National Ambulance Partnership Forum and notes that it has been set up to: 1.Provide a means to communicate and share a common understanding of the transformational national agenda facing ambulance services in light of: §‘Taking Healthcare to the Patient’ – service delivery, workforce developments, education & training; §The changing […]
Around 64% of people would choose to die at home if they had a terminal illness and yet a little over 20% actually do so. In fact, 56% of people die in hospital, though that is the preference of only 11% of the population. Clearly, the healthcare system is failing to meet patients’ wishes in […]
Conference welcomes UNISON’s excellent work in highlighting the issue of bullying and harassment. Bullying and harassment is one of the leading causes of stress and ill health in the workplace. Bullying is unacceptable, offensive, intimidating, malicious, insulting or humiliating behavior. It is an abuse of power that attempts to undermine staff. Harassment is conduct that […]
Conference notes the report on the progress towards agreeing a new unsocial hours payment scheme for all NHS workers covered by the Agenda for Change agreement. We are concerned that these proposals will leave members in some branches worse off than the interim arrangements – for example ambulance members working a full 24 hour rota. […]
Conference notes the financial difficulties currently facing the NHS and the effect that this is having on staffing levels. Conference expresses its concern that job freezes within the NHS are having a profound effect on the number of jobs available for new graduates in the health professions, including those completing their training in occupational therapy. […]