Conference notes that: 1)The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pays pensions to widows of male scheme members in respect of contributions since 1972 or, in some cases, 1978; 2)As a result of a Supreme Court decision in 2017, the Walker case, LGPS members’ surviving same-sex spouses and civil partners, irrespective of gender, are now treated […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that the Prevent strategy, created in 2003 and made a statutory duty in 2015, is hailed as a tool to tackle radicalisation and extremism at an early point. Staff in colleges question how the duty is interpreted and applied in colleges due to serious concerns and weaknesses in its implementation. One concern with […]
Conference notes that our members employed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) work tirelessly to ensure the public eats safe and clean meat, dairy and seafood. Their pay, terms and conditions need urgent improvement to reward that commitment. Conference also notes the contributions FSA members and those employed as […]
Conference knows that collective bargaining was a hard-won right by workers and that we need to constantly fight to protect this right. Collective bargaining at national level has been a feature of the education sector for many years and it is something to be proud of. FE colleges in England have not had binding national […]
Conference commends the work carried out by local government service group members working in care across the UK despite the many continued challenges and pressures that they face. Conference recognises that despite the differences in the delivery of social care throughout the UK, UNISON’s own National Care Service campaign represents a clear vision for the […]
This conference notes that: 1) This Tory government is once again seeking to make public sector workers pay for the latest economic crisis by restricting public sector pay even further when the cost of living continues to rise; 2) Prior to the latest cost of living crisis, pay across local government had fallen in real […]
Despite colleges educating 1.7 million students each year, further education is all too often overlooked by the government. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has clearly shown that colleges lost out more than other education sectors during the austerity decade from 2010. Despite claims funding has increased, college spending per student in 2024 will […]
Conference notes that UNISON has declared 2023 the Year of Black Workers (YofBW2023). This conference notes that whilst 2023 is the Year of Black Workers, and its focus of ‘Establishing legacy to generate change’, this year in and of itself is not the change we seek, it is merely the opportunity to generate change. Black […]
Conference notes that in December the Department for Education (DfE) announced that funding to local authorities in England for supported early years places would increase by an average of 3.4% for three and four year olds and by 4% for two year olds. However, some local authorities will only receive less than a 1% increase […]
Conference notes that comments made by Keir Starmer on 28 October in a Mumsnet interview regarding trans youth healthcare have caused significant concern In response to a question from a Mumsnet user about the interim report by Dr Hilary Cass on the provision of trans youth healthcare, Starmer focussed on the idea of consent, saying: […]
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 […]
Conference welcomes the United Kingdom’s (UK) Conservative government’s decision not to proceed with replacement of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) with a Bill of Rights Bill. However, Conference is not fooled and is well aware of the Conservative’s intention either to repeal the HRA or even withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights […]
Conference notes that for many years Ghana’s government has been extremely hostile to LGBT+ people. Currently same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under the Criminal Code 1960, which criminalises acts of ‘unnatural carnal knowledge’. This provision carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. Only men are criminalised under this law. The law was inherited from […]
Conference notes that UNISON national LGBT+ committee has produced resources to support the recruitment of LGBT+ members and development of LGBT+ activists. These include ‘Putting politics back into Pride – a UNISON practical guide to recruiting and organising’, ‘Digital organising for LGBT+ equality guide’ and bargaining factsheets to support negotiations with employers for our LGBT+ […]
Conference notes that, during 2022, UNISON’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) self-organised group (SOG) succeeded in raising the issue of trans equality widely within the union by submitting substantially similar motions to several UNISON conferences. Their opportunity to do so is based on UNISON rules D1.10.4, D3.4.10 and D5.7.5 which entitle each SOG […]