Conference notes the December 2021 government policy paper ‘Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy for England’, published after 100,000 women shared their personal experiences around the way the health and care system listens to women. The document looked at the approach to women’s health by putting women’s voices at the heart of this work. […]
Conference motions
Conference, using public transport is a major issue for Disabled Members. There are countless barriers to accessing trains, buses, taxis and any other kind of public transport you care to mention. Last year the government set out their plans for making transport more accessible in their National Disability Strategy. They claimed they would ‘improve the […]
Conference suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 50 in the UK. In 2020, 75% of those who took their own lives were male. 4,880 men and boys died by suicide, that equates to 12 deaths every day of the year. While people of all genders can experience mental health problems stigma […]
Conference, many of our disabled members feel anxious and concerned about returning to the workplace following the pandemic. They are worried that they are being left vulnerable to Covid 19 after the government removed legal restrictions and access to free testing earlier this year. Members who were previously considered clinically vulnerable, have not been afforded […]
SOCIAL CARE Conference notes that from April 2022 National Insurance contributions have risen by 1.5% supposedly to help meet the cost of the NHS and also to provide additional funding for Social Care. Conference further notes that money is unlikely to be available for Social Care in the first instance. Prime Minister Johnson has always […]
World War Two, the Coronavirus pandemic plus years of Conservative Government has had a devastating effect on Unison retired members. We receive one of the worst state pensions in Europe even though the UK is one of the richest countries in the world. When we reach the age of 80 we get an extra 25 […]
Conference is only too aware having a UNISON steward to advocate in the workplace during difficult times for our members can mean all the difference in the world for outcomes in disciplinaries, grievances and potential dismissals. Having a Commissioner to advocate for Older People has the very same potential to make substantial changes which can […]
This Conference acknowledges the substantial financial and other support given by the union for UNISON retired members activity, e.g. Retired Members’ Conference, and its other democratic structures and activities, providing staff resources, etc. This Conference recognises, however, that the level of support is not consistent across all branches and regions, and that this can lead […]
This Conference notes that it has debated many motions over recent years on elderly social care. Everyone is aware of poor pay and training for staff; inadequate care for elderly people needing this help in residential and nursing homes or in their own home. There is a large turnover of care staff and this has […]
Conference recognises that it’s been nearly 2 years now since the BBC announced its intention to remove the free TV licence provision from the over 75s in 2020 [having been forced by the Conservative government to take over the funding of this social benefit]. Since then, the protests have never stopped! Groups including Age UK, […]
Conference is concerned that over at least the last 5 there has been regressive changes to the state and other pension provision and to benefits older people are entitled to, including 165,606 UNISON retired members Just now more than 12 million older people in receipt of the State Pension are worse off after the Government […]
Conference notes that the Government is still considering raising the age of free prescriptions in England from 60 to 66, in line with the increasing State Pension age. The changes would mean that as many as 2.4 million people aged 60 to 65 would have to start paying for antibiotics, illness treatments and more at […]
Conference notes that in 2022 energy giants Shell and BP made a combined profit of £40 billion while at the same time around 1 million older households were experiencing fuel poverty. It is estimated that rising fuel prices will push an extra 150,000 older households into fuel poverty by the coming winter. Conference further notes […]
Conference notes that data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing shows that many of the over-50 population were unable to access health care services during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. A sixth of older people reported having hospital treatment cancelled, with an additional one in ten unable to visit or […]
The number of people who can remember what health provision was like for ordinary working people before Aneurin Bevan created the National Health Service diminishes year by year. His vision of free medical treatment for everyone “from the cradle to the grave” is as powerful now as it was in 1948. Obviously as time has […]