Conference motions
DECONTAMINATION STRATEGY Submitted by Eastern Regional Health Committee This conference expresses the greatest concern at the late involvement of UNISON in the “National Decontamination Strategy “ described in Health Circular HC/17/04 to branches on 10th March 2004. It appears from the information contained in the circular that decisions have already been made on future strategy […]
Conference is increasingly concerned at the exploitation of migrant Health workers, which is taking place in Health Services in the UK. We recognise that the NHS has taken significant steps to address the exploitation and we welcomed the guidance, which was issued in 2003. However, during 2003 an estimated 40,000 overseas nurses applied for nursing […]
Conference deplores the cost cutting measures employed within NHS Hospital and Primary Care Trusts which have resulted in falling staff levels in wards, departments and community services throughout the Health Service. Low staffing levels result in increased ill health absences which only exacerbates the situation for those staff still at work. Moreover, staff are often […]
Conference welcomes the introduction of greater co-operation and joint working between health and social services as demonstrated by the introduction of Children’s and Older Persons/Adults trusts. Many of our members already work in integrated service under Section 31 funding arrangements or through other joint funding regimes on a variety of secondment or other employment arrangements. […]
Under AfC the lowest spine point in Band 1 falls below the level of half male median earnings. All points in Band 1 fall below £6 an hour. UNISON’s submission to the Low Pay Commission asked for a minimum way of £6 an hour. In many areas UNISON branches have negotiated minimum rates for ancillary […]
Currently violence against NHS staff is high and rising. Nurses are four times more likely than teachers or shop assistants to be the subject of a violent assault at work. During 2002, 115,000 incidents were reported that caused injury and distress to individuals working in the NHS. These involved problems with absence, low morale and […]
Agenda for Change, if accepted, will completely change the structure of the NHS, and all the historical Whitley staff group demarcations will disappear. The way that UNISON Health members are organised will need to respond to this change. UNISON should grasp the opportunity to review the way in which it can best represent its members’ […]
Conference notes that despite a wide range of positive initiatives to recruit staff there is still a shortage of staff working in the NHS. Positive recruitment initiatives only partly meet the challenging needs of the NHS. Retention of staff is equally if not more important in maintaining service delivery and continuity of staffing skills and […]