Conference Attendance and Accountability

Conference notes with increasing concern that Conference business is liable to fall from the agenda if delegates are not on the Conference floor at the appropriate time. Conference should recognise that the funding of attendance is from national, regional and branch level and as such delegates have a responsibility to their branch/region to ensure that […]

Training on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues within the Public Sector

Conference notes that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) recognition within family friendly policies is sketchy despite the Sexual Orientation Regulations 2003. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that line managers knowledge and interpretation of these policies is often lacking and open to misinterpretation. Conference instructs the National LGBT Committee to: 1.Work in conjunction with the service […]

Craftworkers

This Service Group Conference notes:- 1)That there are currently some 8,500 Craft members in our union 2)That UNISON does not have a place on the JNC or Scottish Joint Council for Craft Workers 3)That on a national basis, effective representation of UNISON members via negotiating bodies does not exist 4)That Craft members are not covered […]

Nursery Nurses Pay

Under 1) add at the end: “in England and Wales”. Add new 2): “2) Welcomes the pay increases that nursery nurses achieved across Scotland and the Scottish Executive’s national review of the Early Years and childcare workforce due to be released for consultation.” Add new 3) 3) Notes the research evidence Nursery Nurses in Scotland […]

Underfunding of Social Care Services for Adults

Conference deplores the gross underfunding of care services for adults in all parts of the UK and recognises that those for the elderly and adults with disabilities are particularly threatened. Conference expresses its deep concern on the effect that this underfunding is having on the jobs and working conditions of our members working in these […]

The Disability Equality Duty and Local Government

Replace C) with: Ensure local government staff who have acquired new skills and responsibilities as a result of the new legislation have these recognised through the Job Evaluation processes and the application of equality proofed pay and grading structures to local government staff.

Local Government Pay

This conference condemns the announcement by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, that public sector pay rises will be capped at 2% over the next three years and his call for more local and regional flexibility in pay bargaining. Conference notes that: 1)Inflation is currently running at 2.6% 2)Recruitment and retention problems in local government are running […]

Are Retired LGBT Members Invisible

This Conference is concerned that when LGBT members retire from the workplace they become invisible and therefore sidelined. Many of them will have been active within the union movement and taken part in major campaigns. The dynamism shown by UNISONS own LGBT section is proof of what its membership is capable of. Many of the […]

Agenda for Change for Staff transferred out of the NHS to Community & Voluntary Sector Providers

Conference notes the success of negotiations with the Department of Health and private contractors to secure an agreement by which staff transferred from the NHS to major private contractors will become subject to Agenda for Change terms and conditions over the next two years. This agreement, when fully implemented, will end of most of the […]

Mileage Allowances

This Conference is extremely concerned that there appears to be no effective or responsive mechanism in place to recompense NHS staff for the petrol they use whilst on official business. This is particularly true for staff who are using their own cars for work purposes. Many employers insist that staff are entitled only to claim […]

NHS in Crisis

Conference notes with deep concern the financial crisis faced by many NHS Trusts across England. In recent weeks there have been news reports daily of Hospital and Primary Care Trusts forced to close departments, freeze recruitment and discontinue the use of agency staff. In addition Trusts are also resorting to redundancy measures to save money. […]

Food & Nutrition

This Conference notes that the Health Services in all four countries of the UK have set standards in respect of the nutritional content of patient food. However it is recognised that beyond the basic minimum standards, assessment of an individual patient’s nutritional needs appears to be very inconsistent and in some cases non existent. Another […]

Primary Care Campaign

The Department of Health’s plans to separate the provider and commissioning functions of Primary Care Trusts poses a massive threat to the future of the National Health Service. The next two years will be crucial in determining how primary care staff are employed and how primary care services are to be delivered. Conference recognises that […]

Agenda for Chnage for Private Contractor Staff

Conference congratulates the national negotiating team on reaching agreement to allow Agenda for Change to be applied to staff employed by private contractors. This has every chance of eradicating the two tier workforce and being the catalyst to banish private contractors from NHS Soft Facilities Contracts. Whilst we welcome this move, we have serious concerns […]

Unsocial Hours Review

With the negotiations for an unsocial hours agreement under Agenda for Change well under way, we must learn lessons from the pay modernisation programme. In 2003 Conference passed a motion submitted by Exeter City Branch, that a survey be conducted and published to ascertain what the national rates of pay for sleep-in duty were, and […]