Conference will note that we are now over 5 months into this Conservative Government and the wellbeing of our disabled members and their families is under constant threat from draconian legislation on welfare, social care cuts by local authority, changes to the benefits system and proposed changes to human rights legislation and a referendum to […]
Conference motions
Conference will note the Labour election defeat in May 2015 and the return of a Tory Government. Conference will further note the lack of any policies likely to benefit people with disabilities in the Tory party manifesto or Queens Speech. Moreover, a further round of welfare cuts and reduction of services is proposed. Conference will […]
Conference notes that government cuts mean employers are looking for new ways of working to save money without cutting jobs. Often referred to as Lean or Agile Working, these methods were developed by Toyota and are predominantly used in manufacturing industries. If implemented correctly they can bring financial savings and improve working conditions. While we […]
Conference condemns the continued attacks on the funding of public services. Austerity cuts are providing an environment for employers to continue to cut/reduce vital services, outsource services, or develop shared services with other public bodies and private organisations. The cuts are being used as a reason by employers to increase the use volunteers, have continual […]
Conference is aware this Government is eroding the public sector by privatisation and outsourcing. The Post Office; East Coast Mainline; a third of recent NHS contracts; and more recently, over half of the Probation Service, all moving into private hands, not only will this lead to poorer service provision, it will also have a negative […]
Conference 2014 acknowledged the particular mental health concerns for disabled LGBT people and agreed an action plan to start to address this. Conferences notes the additional impact that being diagnosed with a learning difficulty or disability can have upon our mental health. People who are not aware of their specific learning difficulty or disability or […]
Conference will note that participation in self organisation is integral to the core work and values of UNISON. Yet activists are increasingly reporting that employers are cutting back on facility time and questioning the purpose of the meeting. Activists are feeling pressurised into disclosing their disability, sexual orientation or gender identity when they may have […]
We are increasingly concerned at the way that Police Staff are sometimes treated when they are victims of crime. The service they receive from the police should be no better or worse than any other member of the public, but we are aware of cases where this does not happen. Already staff are disadvantaged because […]
The last Labour Government’s workforce modernisation agenda had a proven positive impact on policing in the UK, particularly with regard to community involvement. However since 2010 the disproportionate cuts to the police and justice budget have had a severe impact on UNISON members and numbers of police staff, including PCSOs have dropped to dangerous levels. […]
Assistance Dogs as Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled People Working in Police and Justice Services
UNISON’s disabled members are aware of their right under employment and occupation provisions within the Equality Act to request reasonable adjustments that will assist them to remain in the workforce. Recent reports however advise that some employers do not understand that assistance dogs can be a legitimate reasonable adjustment and in doing so lose the […]
Official statistics produced by mental health charities advise us that one in four people will experience mental ill health at some point in their lives. Despite the success of many charities raising public awareness and drawing employers and ACAS’ attention to the mental wellbeing of staff there is still considerable stigma associated with mental health […]
Conference is aware that Home Office funding for the Police Staff Council (PSC) for England and Wales is currently guaranteed only to September 2015. This funding provides for the offices of the Employers Side Secretariat, which has been delivered since the inception of the PSC in 1996 by the Local Government Association. Conference is aware […]
Conference recognises that the next five years will likely see changes to the structure of police forces in England and Wales. Although the Conservative government claims to have no plans to create force mergers, the onward march of collaboration and the ongoing bite of austerity cuts, which are expected to be no less than were […]
Conference notes with concern the threat to the future of the National Negotiating Council (NNC) for the Probation Service. The NNC was created in its current form in 2000 to cover the amalgamation of probation boards and the creation of a single-table bargaining machinery for all probation staff. Since that date, the NNC has been […]
Conference notes that UNISON represents members working for police forces in England and Wales whose annual pay award is not decided by negotiations at the Police Staff Council for England and Wales. These members include: a)Police staff working for forces which are currently opted out of the Police Staff Council, namely: Kent Police, Surrey Police […]