On the 23rd of June, the country voted by a narrow margin of 52% to 48% to leave the EU. If we look at all the sectors that UNISON represent we will see women EU members working, and contributing having settled in Britain. With women making up 77% of UNISON’s membership, it is not difficult […]
Conference motions
Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited blood disorder that affect the red blood cells. The most serious type is called sickle cell anaemia. People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they don’t live as long as healthy blood cells and they […]
Research continues to show that the significant disproportionate negative impacts of the government’s austerity policies fall on women, particularly Black women and women who are low paid and/or from low income households (in which women dominate) despite government claims that the burden would be shared equally. Women are the primary carers for children and the […]
Conference welcomes the Inquiry and recently published Report on sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools published by the government women’s and equalities committee. The Inquiry came about following a number of surveys and reports that highlighted the shocking scale of incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools for example, YouGov research in […]
Conference believes that all forms of hate crime are abhorrent. Conference notes that following the toxic debate on EU membership last year, reported hate crime increased. The spike in hate crime against those perceived to be migrants or asylum seekers is well documented. Conference further notes the findings of the latest hate crime report by […]
The exit of the UK from the EU has profound implications for women’s rights. The implications were recognised in our debate at Women’s Conference 2015 but have now became a reality. Some of the key policy areas where key equality law and related measures derived from EU membership include: • women’s rights and representation; • […]
Over the past few years, national women’s conference has discussed concerns at the growing use and abuse of zero hours contracts. According to data from the Office of National Statistics, these contracts disproportionately impact on women workers, and they are primarily focused on work traditionally undertaken by women, such as cleaning and caring work. However, […]
Conference notes that each year the attendance at national women’s conference is monitored and reported to the committee and in the annual report. There is little significant change in the pattern of women attending, with disabled, LGBT and part time workers well represented amongst the delegation. However, Black, young and low paid women are still […]
Conference notes that, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, women are disproportionately affected by dementia: • Over 500,000 people with dementia – 61% – are women • Women in their 60s are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the rest of their lives as they are to develop breast cancer • Dementia is […]
Conference is concerned at the continuation of Britain’s bus services being depleted and congratulates Unison for supporting Campaign for Better Transport in their campaigning efforts to improve Britain’s public transport services and applauds the support from the General Political Fund for research into this subject. Buses are the most flexible form of public transport – […]
This conference notes the recent outcomes of research conducted by Plan UK into the state of girl’s rights in the UK. This research identified that despite being the 5th richest country in the world the UK is failing to meet the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in turn is failing girls in this […]
Conference notes that in June 2016 the United Nations (UN) Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights found that the UK government’s austerity measures and social security reforms were in breach of its obligations to human rights. The report amongst other issues cites: an increase in the use of food banks, rising unemployment rates, the […]
Conference picture this, a female wheelchair user gets on a train at a station and has assistance to enter the train. Platform staff get the ramps and the woman disabled customer is helped onto the train. The train has only a driver and no conductor. Then when getting to the station to get off the […]
Conference notes that the 1967 Abortion Act will be 50 years old in 2017. Prior to 1967 around 100,000 illegal abortions were carried out each year in Britain and it is estimated that 35.000 women were hospitalised each year due to botched back street abortions. No one really knows how many women actually died but […]
A report published by the Institute of Fiscal Studies into the gender wage gap has found that women experience a gradual but continual rise in the gap once they have their first child. The study also found, on average, that the hourly wages of female employees are currently about 18 per cent lower than men’s. […]