Equality at the Heart of our Union – Equal Means Making it Happen

Conference affirms that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality is an integral part of the organising and bargaining work of the union. Conference considers that UNISON’s Equality Scheme is a significant opportunity to achieve this. The purpose of the Equality Scheme is to make sure that equality is promoted and discrimination challenged in everything […]

Workplace Blood Donor Sessions

Conference is aware that some employers encourage their employees to donate blood by allowing the National Blood Service (NBS) to run donor sessions in the workplace. Conference notes that for people who may be unable to donate due to current donor selection criteria (including many gay and bisexual men, as well as people with medical […]

Building Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Equality in the Commonwealth

Conference welcomes: 1The UK Government’s stated commitment to working for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality; 2The development and publication this year by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of a strategy and toolkit for promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT people; 3Increasing recognition of the Yogyarkarta Principles on the application of international human rights […]

European Union (EU) Anti-Discrimination Legislation

Conference notes that European Union law provides protection against sexual orientation discrimination – as well as age, disability, religion and belief – in the area of employment, but that there is currently no such protection in EU law against discrimination on these grounds in areas such as social protection, goods and services, health care and […]

Increasing Effective Participation of Low Paid LGBT Members

Conference welcomes the new UNISON Equality Scheme which, in addition to covering the statutory equality streams of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, age and religion/belief, also seeks to ensure equality within the union on the grounds of low pay. Conference acknowledges that although the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) self organised group […]

Inequality in Goods, Facilities and Services

Conference is concerned that there remains inequality in the provision of goods, facilities and services to Transgender members especially in the case of medical treatment. Looking at Wales as an example, last year, this conference heard how the Health Commission Wales (HCW), a body of the Welsh Assembly set up to fund specialist services in […]

Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Members in the Highlands of Scotland

This conference welcomes the recent formation of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Self-Organised Group (SOG) in the Highland Branch. This is an area of Scotland where there are few facilities for LGBT people. The land mass of the Highland branch is the same size as Belgium, with many small rural communities, where LGBT […]

Challenging Racism in the Workplace

Conferences notes that a Labour Research Report from 2001 identified that not all employers were doing all they could to comply with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The 2000 Act amended the 1976 Race Relations Act to place a General Duty on all public authorities to promote race equality. Conference notes that the General […]

Representation of Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) Committee on Police Staff Service Group Executive

Conference notes that in 2005, Conference voted to establish a Shadow SOCA Committee to represent members’ interests in SOCA. The Shadow Committee elects two representatives to the Police Staff Service Group Executive, namely; ·One National Crime Squad (NCS) representive ·One National Crime Intelligence Squad (NCIS) representative ·· Conference also notes that it was agreed to […]

Future Role, Powers and Equipment of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)

Conference notes with concern the continuing lack of consistency over PCSO powers, uniform, role and equipment across England and Wales. Conference is particularly disappointed that: 1)The original concept of standard powers for PCSOs was significantly watered down by stakeholders; 2)The continuing discretion allowed to Chief Constables over PCSO powers has resulted in a patchwork approach […]

Branch International Relations Officers

Conference affirms its commitment to UNISON’s International ideals and is disappointed at the lack of committed Branch International Relations Officers in the Police sector. Conference therefore encourages all branches to recruit Branch International Relations Officers and instructs the Service Group Executive to work closely with the national International department to develop this work and to […]

Assistive Technology

Conference notes with concern the poor record of Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) and individual forces in introducing assistive technology for disabled police staff. Assistive technology is the provision of software applications which allow workers with disabilities to access IT which otherwise would be denied to them. Conference notes that recently introduced police software packages, […]

National Contact Management Programme

Conference notes that the National Contact Management Programme (NCMP) aims to improve public/police interaction through the introduction of a standardised approach to contact management and the provision of guidance, which serves to support, shape and drive improved citizen focussed service delivery. Conference further notes that, when effectively implemented, the National Contact Management Programme is meant […]

UNISON RETIRED MEMBERSHIP

This conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to: i.Issue publicity material to ensure that retired members and branch secretaries are aware of the existence of UNISON Rule 6.1 whereby a retired member may become a member of the branch based closest to her/his place of residence; ii.Ensure that the necessary transfer documentation is available […]

MERGED RETIRED MEMBERS’ SECTIONS – CARD VOTES AT RETIRED MEMBERS’ CONFERENCES

This Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to ensure that where merged retired members’ sections exist, administrative arrangements are in place for the inclusion of retired members from all the branches concerned in card votes at retired members’ conferences.