County Lines – impact on children, young people and families

County lines, or ‘going country’, is a national issue involving the use of mobile phone ‘lines’ by groups to extend their drug dealing business into new locations outside of their home areas. This generally involves a group from an urban area expanding their operations by crossing one or more police force boundaries to more rural […]

Pride in London

At the Pride Parade held in London, on Saturday 7th July 2018, a transphobic protest took place at the front of the march and stole the limelight from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and NHS workers. The ‘hi-jack’ of the front of parade was carried out by ten lesbians who held a banner that […]

Happy 50th Birthday Stonewall

Conference next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. These events had a profound effect on the advancement of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights. They were the catalyst for many movements and groups and also had an influence that led to led to Pride events that commenced a few years […]

Bargaining for good Mental Health policies in WET workplaces

Conference notes that our workplaces are changing, with members in Water, Environment and Transport (WET) facing increased workloads as targets are increased year on year and working conditions often deteriorate under TUPE transfers. These pressures have made the importance of ensuring good mental health in WET workplaces clear. At least one in four of us […]

Lyme Disease

This Water, Environment and Transport Conference is aware of cases of Lyme disease to employees in the Water Industry and likely elsewhere to members within the Service Group. The disease is caused by bacteria transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected tick or other blood feeding insect. Most affected are likely to be […]

Angling Trust – Voluntary Bailiff Scheme

This Conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to work with the Environment Agency Sector Committee to investigate the cost / benefit of the Environment Agency funding a Voluntary Bailiff Scheme. The Environment Agency has used Rod Licence Income to fund staff at the Angling Trust to set up a volunteer system and has provided […]

Trans Prisoners

That this Conference will be aware of the tragic deaths in custody last year of trans women being held in male prisons. “Vikki Thompson who was aged 21 at the time of her death was being held at Armley jail, a category B men’s prison, and had told friends she would kill herself, if she […]

Taking forward UNISON’s work on intersex equality

Conference notes that momentum for the recognition of human rights and equality for people born with intersex bodies (variations of sex characteristics) has increased greatly over the last 2 years. Whilst this has mainly been positive, there continues to be confusion and misunderstanding of what intersex means and a lack of focus on everyday issues, […]

LGBT Scrutiny in the Commissioning Process

Up and down the country health and social care service provision is once again metamorphosing. As features in the provider landscape rise and fall, there are winners and losers. The winners, whether from the statutory, private or community sectors, spread into new geographic territories, full of enthusiasm but frequently ignorant of the shape of local […]

Commitment to Pride

UNISON works tirelessly to combat homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and to build equality for us all. Conference believes that one of the best ways of communicating with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is face to face, most notably through our presence at Pride events across the United Kingdom. Conference notes that UNISON […]

Palestine

1. The adoption by UNISON national delegate conference 2016 of the motion “Don’t silence the occupation of Palestine”, which highlighted the introduction of new laws in Britain, the United States of America and Israel that seek to undermine the growing success of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and instructed the National Executive Council […]

An inclusive movement, an inclusive union

UNISON strives to represent all its members and has led the way in lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members’ self-organisation, not only including LGBT members but putting us at the heart of leading our union. Conference reiterates its belief that a growing number of people identify with sexual orientations or gender identities outside of […]

#AskMyPronouns

Equality law in the United Kingdom (UK) has continued to update itself as time has passed in view of better knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing people, including those of transgender individuals. Although these laws ensure protection for transgender people the particulars of language are always changing. People working in the public service and […]

End of Life Care for LGBT People

Research by the Marie Curie Charity “Hiding who I am – the reality of end of life care for LGBT People” shows that many older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have significant fears about palliative and end of life care services. They are concerned that service providers and health and social care professionals […]

Expunge LGBT convictions prior to decriminalization

Conference notes that until 1980, sex between men was illegal in Scotland and whilst sexual acts between women have never been specifically outlawed in the United Kingdom (UK), some prosecutions for indecency were made in the past. Conference further notes that the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 decriminalised homosexual acts between men over 21 in […]