SO1 – APPLICATION OF STANDING ORDERS

In Standing Order 1.2, delete first sentence and replace with: ‘The Standing Orders may be changed by Conference approving, with a two-thirds majority of those people present and voting, a motion which has appeared on both the preliminary and final Conference agendas, except for motions from the Black and Disabled Members Caucuses, which may only […]

KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

Conference notes with grave concern that in July 2000, Kent County Council banned the publishing, purchasing or distributing of material which “promote gay lifestyles” in its 600 schools, in anticipation of the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales. It is unfortunate that since the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales late […]

TRADES UNION CONGRESS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER CONFERENCE

Conference recalls last year’s resolution calling upon the Trades Union Congress Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (TUC LGB&T) Committee to review whether arrangements for its annual conference best meet the needs of the maximum number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender trades unionists. Conference notes that UNISON raised this with the TUC which decided not […]

ORGANISING FOR LEARNING

The 2002 Employment Act gave lifelong Learning Advisers and Union Learning Representatives the same statutory rights as Stewards and Health and Safety Representatives. During the same year, UNISON rolled out a Union Learning Fund project aimed at developing UNISON’s capacity to organise around learning via a network of well trained and supported learning advisers and […]

PALESTINE

Conference notes that UNISON and its former partner unions have called for many years for peace with justice for the Palestinian people and for a solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict based upon international law including particularly: 1.Israeli withdrawal to the borders of 4 June 1967; 2.The right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their […]

The Forthcoming Political Fund Ballot and Funding New Labour

By March 2005 UNISON has to legally ballot the whole membership on whether they wish to have a political fund or not. This fund, with its unique arrangement of two sections, affiliated and general, enables the union to donate monies to political parties and to fund campaigns deemed to be political. Conference believes that it […]

Regional Cost of Living Weightings

Conference recognises the high cost of living in London and the surrounding area. Conference notes: 1)according to the Land Registry the average price of a home in the south east region was £205,109 by the end of 2003, and the average price of a terraced house was £157,659. In Oxford the average home was £245,732 […]

Participation of Visitors in Workshops

Visitors to the Conference are seated separately and are unable to vote, but they learn a lot about procedures which will be helpful in future if they become delegates. There does not seem however to be any reason why they should not attend the workshops which may also help them in the future and they […]

Small Print Font Size

Important information is frequently presented in ways difficult to read as the type size may be too small and there may be insufficient colour contrast between the print and the paper. The computer seems to have made this problem more common. Examples can be found in newspapers, cooking instructions, information to do with financial matters […]

Local Government Pension Scheme

Conference is alarmed at the threat to the Local Government Pension Scheme posed by the government’s plans to introduce amended regulations. Conference sees this as part of a wider move to undermine pensions in general. Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee and all retired members’ sections to support the TUC’s Pay Up For […]

Qualifying Dates for Additional Payments

Conference expresses its concern that additional payments for items such as the winter fuel allowance are subject to the recipient attaining the specified age by a certain date. It feels that this means a number of pensioners do not become entitled to the payment until the following year. Conference therefore calls upon the National Retired […]

Nationally Run Travel Scheme

Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee and the National Executive Council to lobby the government to introduce a nationally run travel scheme for all people over 60 years of age. Free travel passes are already in existence in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Liverpool, London and other areas. However the minority of the country […]

Transport and the Senior Citizen

Conference notes that millions of senior citizens depend upon public transport in their daily lives. Conference considers that more resources should be made available for both bus and rail travel. Conference reaffirms that a national road and rail pass for pensioners aged 60 and over should be introduced as part of a national transport policy. […]

Occupational Pension Schemes

Conference is opposed to recent proposals to limit the right of individuals to take early retirement from the age of 50 onwards. Conference considers that this is part of an ongoing exercise by the employers and the government to make people work longer and, by implication, have less time in which to enjoy their pensions. […]

Driving and Prescription Drugs

Following a survey undertaken by Aston University and commissioned by the Department of Transport earlier this year, it was found that many elderly drivers were driving under the influence of drugs, in the form of strong medications issued legitimately, and prescribed by doctors who were not aware that the patient was intending to or in […]