Working in Solidarity

Conference welcomes the progress made in raising the profile of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) participation in our union. We can be proud of our achievements in continuing to support and encourage self organisation at all levels of our union. Most of us take it for granted that we can organise and meet to […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

COMMONWEALTH PENSIONERS

Conference notes that over 520,000 expatriate pensioners living in Commonwealth countries have contributed to a United Kingdom pension which has been arbitrarily frozen at the level it was first received. As a result, their state pension decreases in value in real terms every year. For example, a pensioner who retired in 1999 with a pension […]

BRANCH RETIRED MEMBERS SECTION SECRETARY

This Conference believes that the registration of individual retired members and retired member contacts is essential to the running of the National Retired Members Organisation. Conference, however, notes that there is no mention of the post of Branch Retired Members Section Secretary in the list of Branch Officers set out in both the National Rules […]

PHASING IN OF FULL NATIONAL INSURANCE PENSION

This Conference welcomes the reduction in qualifying years for a full National Insurance Pension to 30 years from April 20th 2010. Conference notes with concern however that the Government has refused to phase in the change and this will result in individuals being significantly disadvantaged. It will also cause unfairness and resentment among those women […]

Fuel Costs and Mileage Rates

Defend Our Schools

CAUCUS MEETING AT RETIRED MEMBERS’ CONFERENCE

Conference believes that Retired Members’ Conference should include Caucus Meetings for Black Members, Disabled Members, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Members and Women Members. This would establish parity with all the Conferences of their working counterparts who have had such meetings as part of their timetable virtually since UNISON’s inception in 1993. These meetings provide […]

ELDER ABUSE – MAIL, INTERNET AND OTHER SCAMS

Conference deplores the increasing incidence of mail, internet, phone and other scams aimed specifically at vulnerable elderly people. Tragic tales of elderly people sending off hundreds or thousands of pounds to bogus competitions, lotteries etc on the promise of a large cash prize are all too prevalent, and seem to be on the increase. Conference […]