Conference notes that since Labour came into power in 1997, parts of local government have received welcome investment and started to recover from the lean Tory years. For example, by 2007/8, local government in England will have seen a 39% increase in overall funding in real terms since 1997. Much of this has been in […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the continuing trend of local authorities to sign up with a private company to provide a Strategic Service Partnership. This can occur even when an authority is functioning well and for no other reason than an attempt to bring ‘new’ jobs to an area. The Local Government White Paper and Local Government Bill […]
Conference notes the extensive use of atypical contracts in local government, and that young workers are over represented amongst those on atypical contracts, including term time working and agency working. Conference reaffirms the concerns expressed by Local Government Conference 2004 about the position of Term Time workers. Term Time workers also lose out through low […]
Conference notes the current position in respect of the “New Look” Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and in respect of protection for those adversely affected by the withdrawal of the “Rule of 85”. This conference condemns the fact that the union’s position on the 85 year rule moved from full protection to securing transitional protection […]
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 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 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 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 […]
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 […]
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 notes the current trend in government policy towards shifting the balance of health care provision towards primary care and away from acute sector provision. Conference reaffirms its opposition to the continued move towards increasing contestability and fragmentation in the provision of primary care services. Conference believes that this move will lead to a poorer […]
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. […]