Reasonable adjustments and young workers

Conference notes the important work done by the National Disabled Members Committee in developing and promoting the 2019 ‘Let’s be reasonable’ report which showed the difficulties faced by many disabled workers in securing reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Conference also welcomes the wide range of bargaining guidance, information and resources available to UNISON representatives wanting […]

Inappropriate application of ‘Do not Resuscitate’ Notices – Never Again

Conference notes that UNISON has campaigned vigorously on behalf of disabled people. Disabled people across the UK have a right to equal access to health care just like anyone else. Yet the potentially unlawful use of ‘Do not Resuscitate’ notices for fit and healthy people during the COVID-19 pandemic was discriminatory and put lives in […]

LET’S MAKE CARE WORK – A NATIONAL CARE SERVICE FOR ENGLAND

Conference welcomes UNISON’s new campaign “Let’s Make Care Work” which is campaigning for a National Care Service in England. Plans for a National Care Service for England were first presented 13 years ago by the last Labour government shortly before it’s election defeat. Since then, adult social care and support has gone downhill fast and […]

Amendment to Standing Orders

Amendment to Standing Orders In Standing Order number 8, motions and amendments insert a new section *.1 to read as follows: “8.1 Motions and amendments may be submitted to Conference by the following bodies: • Branch Retired Members’ groups • Regional Retired Members’ groups • National Retired members’ Committee • Retired Members’ Womens’ caucus • […]

Tackling Pensioner Poverty

Conference notes with real concern the ongoing cost of living crisis, which has impacted significantly on the costs of food and energy particularly. Conference notes that for older people on fixed, low incomes, rising costs place them under great financial pressure. Conference notes that increasing numbers of pensioners in Northern Ireland are living in poverty, […]

National, Regional and Local Transport:

Given the current disarray in the provision of Public Transport, with cutbacks, cancellations etc. the model of privatised services has shown itself to be totally unsuited to the needs of the populace (particularly the needs of the older population). We therefore commit ourselves to a different model of Public Transport (eg, buses, trains etc.), one […]

Justice for the Windrush Generation

Justice for the Windrush Generation Conference is extremely concerned at the continuing detriment suffered by retired members (or their heirs) who migrated to the United Kingdom in the 1950’s and 1960s, mostly from the Caribbean, who comprise the “Windrush Generation named after the ship, Empire Windrush which sailed from Jamaica to the UK exactly seventy […]

Transport by Train

Conference notes with concern how badly served pensioners are by rail services and that matters have gone from bad to worse since privatisation. We are faced with cancellations; overcrowded trains; inadequate staffing at stations, on platforms and on trains; inaccessible platforms; closure of ticket offices; and lack of toilets and refreshment facilities on trains. The […]

Declining Bus Services and Impact on Pensioners

This conference deplores the continuing decline in local bus services throughout the UK. Not only have services been substantially cut but those services that have been retained are often unreliable, unpredictable and infrequent. Buses are an essential part of the local, regional and national economies, playing a vital role in the transport system, especially for […]

YEAR OF BLACK WORKERS – SECURING ITS LEGACY IN THE RETIRED MEMBERS’ ORGANISATION

Conference notes that 2023 has been the Year of Black Workers and its focus has been ‘Establishing legacy to generate change’. This year is not, itself, the change we seek. It is the opportunity to generate change. Black workers often find themselves in low-paid, insecure work with poor terms and conditions. Besides immediate effects, this […]

Support Campaign for pain-free Hysteroscopies

This conference notes the campaign by the Campaign Against Painful Hysteroscopy (CAPH) to end the barbaric practice Hysteroscopies being carried out in the NHS with inadequate or no offer of pain relief. As the CAPH point out, unlike NHS Colonoscopy or Gastroscopy procedures, women undergoing Hysteroscopy are NOT offered a safely monitored conscious sedation. The […]

Unison Retired Members just want to have Funds!

Yes, we acknowledge that some pensioners are millionaires and, yes, we acknowledge that some Government Ministers are millionaires or multi-millionaires. Whereas some pensioners, including our Unison retired members, are living in abject poverty, we have yet to find one Minister living in abject poverty. When your life is full of luxury, it may be difficult […]

Tory chaos – subject to change

Conference they say a week in politics is a long time but over the last week, not mention month, the government has been in total chaos and made the UK a laughing stock. But for disabled people and our Disabled Members none of this is funny. It seemed that every time the now former Prime […]

Make the Real Living Wage the Minimum for Requirements for Pay Agreements

Conference believes that everyone deserves to be paid a real living wage. We call upon the National Higher Education Service Group Executive to ensure that in the next round of The New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) negotiations a pay spine is proposed and promoted by UNISON representatives in which the lowest […]

Campaigning for Proper Funding for Higher Education as a Public Service

Universities are autonomous organisations, delivering higher education and research, with the freedom to manage their own finances, subject to regulation. Each institution is different, with a complex mix of income streams depending on the nature of the students it teaches, the quantity and perceived quality of research it conducts to drive research income, and the […]