Conference notes that as a result of rapidly increasing wholesale gas prices, the price of energy for consumers and businesses in the UK has also significantly increased. Further it notes that the energy price cap which regulates the default tariffs has been increased by some 54% by the energy regulator OFGEM. This is the tariff […]
Conference motions
Research shows that at GCSE level engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects has a broadly similar gender split. At this level female students are achieving higher or equal average A*-C grades compared to males. At A Level this drops off with a higher number of males taking up STEM subjects, for example […]
Conference picture someone working in the energy sector, and you are likely to mentally summon up an image of a white, middle-aged male. Although a lack of diversity isn’t unique to energy, it is an issue that needs solving. While the situation is improving, it’s not changing fast enough, recent events have rightly woken up […]
This conference believes that when members are employed by an organisation within the Charity and Voluntary sector, either on a zero-hours or permanent basis, they are put at a disadvantage when it comes to their working conditions, especially in relation to potentially losing out on pay and / or being marked down as off sick […]
This conference believes that we should campaign to stop the practice in the voluntary and charity sector of employers contacting their employees after work and should properly compensate their employees for overtime. We deplore that the 2020 Charity people salary survey found that employees working in the voluntary and charity sector found more people working […]
Conference notes that poverty wages and poor working condition are endemic in the care sector. It is only after initiatives such as UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter, our national campaigns on sick pay and staff shortages and the hard work and determination of many UNISON activists and senior branch representatives, that have continued to bring attention […]
Conference is concerned that the recent pandemic, poorly funded local authorities and the government’s proposals to reform planning are combining to make hopes of better access for disabled people a distant dream. As the country started to reopen after the first lockdown local councils were told to do whatever was needed to help kickstart the […]
Conference notes that the Equality Act 2010 has now been in place for over 10 years and despite both the House of Lords and the United Nations stating that it fails disabled people there are still no plans for a review. Since it’s implementation the world has changed significantly with COVID being just one major […]
Conference is concerned that 60% of all people who have died from COVID were disabled and nearly half a million people have had long COVID for over a year, yet the government have not issued any guidance on supporting disabled people at risk of COVID once restrictions have ended. So called Freedom Day could almost […]
Conference is concerned to hear that a forum established by Justin Tomlinson, the Minister for Disabled People, to ‘bring the voices and expertise of disabled people into the heart of government policy making’ appears to have been shut down amid concerns that the government will launch their long awaited Disability Strategy without any meaningful consultation […]
Conference notes that as we move past more than a year since COVID-19 hit these nations, we can already see the devastating affects it has had on those impacted by Post-Covid-19 Syndrome. Common symptoms of Post-Covid-19 Syndrome include (but are not limited to) fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, pain and changes in […]
Conference notes that disabled women face barriers to participation in our union, in the workplace and in society. Over one million of our members are women and a large proportion of these are disabled. Although UNISON has rules about gender proportionality which mean, for example, that where there are two seats at least one must […]
Conference notes that an unfortunate and unwelcome result of the national lockdown has been a reported increase in domestic abuse and domestic violence. Often isolated and shut off from previous support networks, victims can struggle to access support or alert others to their situation. Perpetrators of domestic abuse have been able to use the restrictions […]
Conference notes that COVID-19 has had an unequal impact on disabled people. Statistics show that 6 out of 10 people who have died from COVID-19 are disabled. There is a clear need to protect disabled people from exposure of the virus and the Health and Safety of workers should be a priority for employers. With […]
Conference notes that with the easing of restrictions, members are now being asked to return to the workplace, but this can cause additional stress and anxiety for workers with disabilities. Working from home can be an isolating experience. People with disabilities are more likely to feel isolated due to the lack of communication in accessible […]