LGBT Community Fighting the Far Right at the Ballot Box

Conference notes the poor turn out in the May 2012 Local Government elections. In past elections far right candidates have won council seats by organising their supporters to vote while many ordinary voters, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), have stayed away from the ballot box and not used their […]

Including Retired Members (2)

Conference notes that: 1)UNISON has over 160,000 Retired Members, more by far than any other trades union in the United Kingdom and a number growing by about four per cent per year; 2)UNISON, uniquely, organises retired members in a structure that mirrors that of UNISON as a whole and UNISON Rules also provide for retired […]

Including Retired Member (1)

Conference recalls motion 10 carried at 2010 UNISON lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Conference which noted the anomaly in the self-organised group’s (SOG) structure that, whereas at branch level and at open meetings at other levels LGBT retired members may take part and speak for themselves, at this conference they are silenced and must […]

Holy Redundant – Remove Bishops From Parliament

Conference notes that current proposals to reform the House of Lords include retaining automatic seats for twelve Church of England Bishops. Conference finds such a proposal a ludicrous affront to equality since it amounts to reserving seats in parliament for heterosexual men and celibate gay and bisexual men. Conference also notes the negative role the […]

There For You

Conference notes that: 1)UNISON Welfare is an independent charity supported by UNISON; 2)In 2011 the charity issued new publicity material with a slogan “There For You”; and, 3)This publicity made much use of photographs of people who might be taken to be UNISON members who have benefited from the charity and/or who have been its […]

There is no place for Transphobia

Conference believes that transphobia and bullying of trans people can still be common place in our workplaces and society, but unfortunately it can sometimes occur within in our union. Many transgender workers face a difficult time at work, but when they turn to their trade union they expect a much better response. Conference it seems […]

Living Wage v Dickensian Poverty

The Eastern Region is a large mainly rural area including Norfolk, which is the sixth most deprived county in England. Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Kings Lynn and Thetford are ranked in the top 10% of most deprived areas in England, based on the Index of Deprivation. There are also hidden pockets of deprivation scattered across the […]

Keep the English, Welsh and Scottish Defence Leagues in Your Sights

Conference, most people know that the British National Party (BNP) is a racist party, however fewer people realise that the English Defence League (EDL), Welsh Defence League (WDL) and Scottish Defence League (SDL) are also racist, fascist parties. What is particularly worrying about the EDL, WDL and SDL is that they proclaim themselves to be […]

Defending LGBT Public Services and Jobs

Conference deplores the Tory-led government’s brutal and unnecessary cuts on public services many of which have had a particular impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and young people. Conference further deplores the increased age threshold to 35 for full housing benefit entitlement. Cuts to public sector funding have had a knock on effect […]

Hate Crime – on the increase in times of austerity

Racist and other violence motivated by hatred towards a particular group is a common problem in Europe and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately with attacks reported on ethnic and religious minorities, asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people and other vulnerable groups in recent years hate crime seems to be on the […]

Mental health and drug treatment services for LGBT people

Gay men in Scotland are nearly eight times more likely to have attempted suicide in the last year and four times more likely to have taken drugs than heterosexual men, according to a survey by Stonewall Scotland from earlier this year. The survey of gay and bisexual men’s health found that 3% of gay men […]

DISABLED BLUE BADGE

West Midlands Region and Conference calls upon the National Disabled Members Committee (NDMC) to campaign to make Employers recognise that not all disabled employees have blue badges and that they may not be eligible for such a badge but still require car parking provision close to their place of employment. UNISON believes that disabled members […]

New changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

This Conference is gravely concerned that government austerity measures in welfare reform have failed to respond to the access needs of Deaf people in its move from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payments. Whilst government has recognised British Sign Language as the fourth indigenous language of the UK it has consistently failed that it […]

Concessionary Travel Funding and Cuts to Services

Conference is concerned that changes to the level of grants paid to Local Authorities for Concessionary Travel on buses will lead to more cuts to public services. There were two types of concessionary bus fares. The statutory concession that local authorities must provide is free bus travel for people over 65 and disabled people on […]

Welfare Reform

This Conference asserts its opposition to the Government’s attacks on the benefit system and that disabled people are at the forefront of these attacks. This Conference is gravely concerned that disabled people will experience substantial detriment from these changes, particularly the replacement of Disability Living Allowance with the so-called Personal Independence Payment .The emerging evidence […]