Conference is very concerned that the concessionary bus pass for pensioners is being attacked and no political party has stated that it will be retained after the 2015 election. Withdrawing the bus pass from pensioners will need another Act of Parliament (original Transport Act 2008) but that won’t stop this Government or any other one […]
Conference motions
Conference is very concerned that the Winter Fuel Allowance payments were included in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne’s Budget statement on 19 March 2014, when he stated that benefits will be capped in 2015/16. The statistic (National Pensioners Convention) for the 2013/14 winter is that 31,000 pensioners died of cold-related diseases. The United […]
Conference notes that employers have increasingly been turning to zero hour contracts, as part of the general attack on staff terms and conditions that has accompanied the intensification of privatisation and cuts to funding across the public services. Zero hour contracts are where an individual is not guaranteed work and is paid only for the […]
The National Retired Members’ Committee continues to work to ensure that the UNISON website serves as an efficient means of communicating with over 166,000 Retired members. It is vital that members are provided with information about campaigns that they can get involved with and the activities being undertaken by UNISON. Conference notes that since the […]
Conference opposes any attempts by Governments across the UK to cut universal benefits for older people such as the winter fuel payment, free bus pass, free prescriptions and free TV licences. These benefits are essential to ensuring a decent standard of living and social inclusion for millions of pensioners who face daily poverty, fuel poverty […]
Conference notes with concern the impact of a shift to a market centred model across Europe is resulting in an increasingly hostile debate around immigration. Parties such as the UK Independence Party (UKIP) on the immigration debate in the UK, are scapegoating some of the most vulnerable workers in the labour market for the economic […]
UNISON remains committed to and will continue to fight for public services delivered by workers directly employed on terms and conditions that have been collectively bargained by democratically accountable public bodies. Nevertheless, Conference recognises that more and more public service workers are employed by the private sector and the community and voluntary sector. Often working: […]
Conference reiterates its belief that our members deserve fair pay, equal pay and that no member should earn less than the Living Wage. However we note that living standards for working people have now suffered the greatest fall since the Victorian era; wages are stagnant across the economy yet the price of essentials continues to […]
Conference in the light of the Browne Review of Higher Education finance and the Comprehensive Spending Review it was reported that HEIs will have to be very quick on its feet to avoid serious financial problems and potential bankruptcy as the cuts take effect and the impact of higher fees become apparent. Conference every year […]
Conference notes that universities are responding to restrictive border regulations, which damages their intake of international students, by opening campuses abroad and having collaborations with overseas universities. Many more are likely to join this trend. The universities and science minister has previously appealed to private investors to support overseas expansion for UK universities and stated […]
This Conference understands that recent pay awards in Higher Education have meant that many UNISON members working in this Sector are experiencing a decline in the standard of living for themselves and their families. Conference recognises that the real terms pay cut staff are facing is an issue in itself, but that UNISON members in […]
Conference notes with concern that transphobia and bullying and harassment of trans people is still far too commonplace in workplaces and society, including in our higher education institutions (HEIs). A recent Government Equalities Office survey found that nearly half of trans employees experienced discrimination or harassment in their workplaces and 88% said that ignorance of […]
Conference is aware that many people are affected by mental health conditions. It is concerning that nearly nine out of ten people who experience them say they face stigma and discrimination as a result. In supporting members, our activists have noted that many Higher Education employers are neither aware of nor prepared to support staff […]
Conference applauds the successful implementation of the Living Wage that has been achieved at Exeter University, Wolverhampton University and Loughborough University amongst many. At Exeter University, the Students Guild has also agreed to implement the Living Wage which demonstrates that being a Living Wage employer is also about applying the same standard to services that […]
This conference calls on the Higher Education Service Group to lead and coordinate a systematic programme of submitting Freedom of Information requests to all relevant Higher Education institutions to identify the value of salary and wider reward packages offered to that institution’s senior management. Information gained should then be made available to local branches and […]