Conference applauds the successful implementation of the Living Wage that has been achieved at Exeter University, Wolverhampton University and Loughborough University amongst many. At Exeter University, the Students Guild has also agreed to implement the Living Wage which demonstrates that being a Living Wage employer is also about applying the same standard to services that […]
Conference motions
This conference condemns the appalling practice over the past year of the employers changing people’s contracts and terms and conditions with the “accept it or you’re out” attitude as with Liverpool University and the hard working long serving staff. Therefore conference calls upon the Higher Education Service Group Executive to work with the National Executive […]
This conference condemns the appalling practice over the past years of the employers to fail to demonstrate a true commitment to the hard working long serving staff of their institutions by throwing them aside and turning to external sources for staff to run services. Therefore conference calls upon the Higher Education Service Group Executive to […]
Conference notes with concern that lack of Black workers within Higher Education. Research carried out by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) noted that only 8.6% of academic staff and 6.9% of support staff self-defined as Black. There are only 2 Black Vice Chancellors in the UK despite there being 168 UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). […]
Conference is concerned that Universities are failing to carry out Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). Although no longer a statutory duty, as part of good employer/employee relations, it is vital that this process is undertaken to expose any detrimental effect HE cuts and redundancies are having on disabled employees. However, the process needs to be meaningful […]
Conference is concerned that some Higher Education (HE) institutions are still failing to implement Disability leave Policies, despite this being offered as an example of a reasonable adjustment in the Code of Practice relating to the employment provisions of the Equality Act 2010. Redundancies and cuts in the Higher Education sector are at an all […]
No Age Restrictions for Cervical Cancer Screening 10 years ago the age for Cervical Cancer screening rose from 20 to 25 in England followed by Northern Ireland in 2011, Wales in 2013 and Scotland due to rise in 2014. Cervical Cancer screening is available for all women aged between 25 & 65. Government guidelines state […]
I would like this conference to tell the government that every woman should be routinely given accurate information about group B Streptococcus (group B Strep or GBS) during her antenatal care And then be offered a sensitive test for GBS, ideally at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy Group B streptococcus (GBS), also known as group B […]
This conference believes that the Government’s decision to raise the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate to 35 year olds was not subject to equality impact testing. It is well documented that women earn less than men and therefore find it harder to afford private sector rents. With the changes to eligibility for the 1 […]
Conference notes that affordable child care was one of the main issues raised by the young women members’ caucus at national young members weekend 2013. Conference believes that affordable child care is essential if parents and those with parenting responsibilities, and in particular women, are to be effectively enabled to have access to full working […]
Conference notes that social work is a profession dominated by women. Social work is a gendered activity, in terms of both its workforce and client group and it is well documented that more women than men enter this area of work (‘Gender at Work: Characteristics of ‘Failing’ Social Work Students’. Sheila Furness. Division of Social […]
Conference believes that, despite the continued existence of discrimination against women and the barriers to women’s participation at all levels of society, women are continuing to make progress in taking up leadership roles. Conference further believes this is important in not only challenging the predominance of male power in our society, but also in providing […]
In light of the recent United Nations evidence on the growing prevalence and impact of violence against women here and throughout the world, Council expresses extreme regret that UNISON NDC Conference 2013 defeated an amendment calling for women to be assumed to be telling the truth when they report abuse. Conference calls on the National […]
Conference recalls the 2012 Women’s conference resolution “Our tradition is equality and human rights”, which expressed concern that the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council had adopted a Russian resolution linking human rights to ‘traditional values’. It recognised that Russia was attempting to block progress on women’s rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) […]
Conference notes that Bisexual Visibility Day has been marked on the 23rd September since 1999. Bisexual Visibility Day is a day in which the bisexual community, their friends and supporters recognise and celebrate bisexuality, but the day is not acknowledged by many. Quite often bisexual women face biphobia not only from heterosexuals, but from the […]