The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

Conference welcomes the provisions of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 which places a positive duty on all public authorities to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and good race relations in all their functions. Furthermore, Conference welcomes the commitment to developing codes of practice for relevant public bodies and put in place […]

University Funding and Top-Up Fees

Conference notes that that the first demonstration organised in opposition to the policies of the New Labour Government was of students and other young people opposed to the introduction of tuition fees. Before the introduction of top up fees two-thirds of the population were against them as were the National Union of Students (NUS) and […]

GATS and Public Services

Conference recognises that the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) aims to expose services world wide to competition, and is a real threat to public services in the UK. While GATS does not compel governments to liberalise, or privatise, services, there will be great pressure on them to do so. GATS is an ongoing […]

Invest in Council Housing/Decent Homes

Conference believes that decent affordable housing is a fundamental right of all citizens and is particularly concerned about the lack of supply of low cost quality homes for working people and their families in the United Kingdom. Conference notes that Government cannot now meet its Decent Homes Target of bringing all council housing up to […]

Public Service Reform

Conference recognises that the recent political debate has shifted, since the spending increases announced in 2002, from a question of extra funding to one of public service reform, with growing support for different varieties of new localism. However this debate has been marked more by rhetoric than either substance or vision. There is a contrast […]

The National Health Service

Conference welcomes the intention of the Government to increase the funding of the National Health Service (NHS) in England by 7.4 per cent in real terms over five years from 2003/4, and the Government’s stated intention of bringing UK health spending in line with the European average. This funding offers the NHS the opportunity to […]

Environment Agency Pension Regulations

This Conference seeks to change the law to ensure all unmarried partners receive the same benefits through the Environment Pension Scheme as married couples. Since the introduction of the Scheme Society has changed and the pension regulations should be urgently reviewed and amended to reflect these demographic changes. In today’s society there is no reason […]

Sustainable Communities Better Transport

Conference notes that the Labour Party Policy Forum is consulting on priorities for transport at local, national and international levels, in its document “Sustainable Communities, Better Transport”. UNISON’s interest and role in sustainable, public transport provision was demonstrated by the Positively Public Transport symposium – Building World Class Public Transport held in January. The symposium […]

Regional Assemblies and Public Transport

Conference welcomes the publication of the Government’s White Paper on Regional Assemblies: “Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions”. Conference notes that the White Paper acknowledges that “good transport is essential for sustainable economic success” and states that “transport needs to be integrated with policy on economic development, planning and housing”. Conference instructs the […]

Buses

This conference recognises the valuable contribution already being played by public bus services towards the elimination of social exclusion and in the reduction of traffic congestion. However it also recognises that modern, environmentally friendly buses have a huge untapped potential to contribute even more to the objectives set out in the Government’s Ten-Year Transport Plan. […]

Ending Discrimination in Pension Provision

Conference notes that the issue of pensions has never been so much in the public eye, with widespread concern about the ability of schemes to deliver security in retirement. Conference further notes that Water and Environment Agency members belong to a number of different pensions schemes, which have different terms and conditions. Conference welcomes the […]

Schedule A: Rates of Subscription – 1 Full Members

Delete from “There shall be ” to “lowest paid band” and replace with: “There shall be eleven income bands, each with different subscription rates as follows effective from 1 October 2003: Income from EmploymentWeekly SubscriptionsMonthly Subscriptions £ £ Band A: 0 – 2,0000.30 1.30 Band B: 2,001 – 5,0000.81 3.50 Band C: 5,001 – 8,0001.22 […]

Schedule A: Rates of Subscription – 6.3 Retired Members

Add new sub-paragraph: “From 1 July 2003, members who are entitled to death benefit as a result of paying the reduced subscriptions due under the paragraph above will continue to be entitled to death benefit without the need to make any further subscription payments after that date.”

Schedule A: Rates of Subscription – 2 Full Membership

2.3, title, delete “and” and replace with “,” and add at end “and other unpaid leave.”

Rule C.2.3.2.1 Full Membership

Delete “or” and replace with “,” After “leave” insert “or other unpaid leave”