Conference notes the introduction by UNISON from 1st September 2017 of the new Digital Organising Framework which replaces the paper-based Joint Branch and Regional Assessment Process (JBRA) and that It is intended to act as a discussion framework for a sit down conversation between a Regional Organiser and Branch Secretary (or Committee); It is an […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the continued success of the North West Region’s Social Care Organising Project ‘Care Workers for Change’ and the revitalisation of the participation and sector organisation of Community members which are key objectives within its Regional Work Programme. Funded by the Region and participating branches, its aims are to recruit new members and activists, […]
Conference notes the annual national training event for Community members facilitated by UNISON Learning and Organising Services (LAOS) which took place in Birmingham in October 2017 and its continued success in assisting to develop and empower our membership base. Conference also notes that throughout UNISON nations/regions much innovative work has been undertaken in conjunction with […]
Care and support staff in both the Community & Voluntary Sector and Housing Associations should not accept incidents of violent or aggressive behaviour as a normal part of their role. All support staff have a right to expect a safe and secure workplace. Violent and aggressive incidents are the third biggest cause of injuries reported […]
Conference notes that in the past year our union has once again been leading the way on the issue of payment of the statutory minimum wage for sleep-in shifts. Many Community members carry out sleep-in shifts and have often been paid less than the legal minimum for their work. By any reasonable definition of the […]
Community Conference welcomes the new UNISON wide pay campaign called “Pay Up Now“ which seeks to put pressure on the government to end public spending austerity which has proved so disastrous for public services in recent years. Community Conference supports the campaign objectives which are to: a. Put an end to the pay cap b. […]
Around 80% of organisations in Community & Voluntary Sector and Housing Associations reported that the most prevalent form of short term absence from the workplace were the common minor illnesses like colds, stomach bugs, migraines and influenza. 40% of organisations reported an increased level of stress related illness; this is thought to be a response […]
In the Community & Voluntary Sector which includes care provision, charities, not for profit organisations and housing associations, it is becoming evident that the biggest issue in the workplace is poor mental health. Statistics now show that it causes many millions of working days to be lost every year. The mental health problems experienced by […]
Conference there was much debate during the Referendum Campaign about returning power to the Parliament in Westminster if we voted to leave the EU. Control over our laws, it was argued, would be returned to our Houses of Parliament and all our laws would be debated by our democratically elected Members of Parliament. There was […]
UNISON recognises that the excessive pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is one of the biggest challenges to the mental health of our members. If you look around your surroundings whether at home, at work or in your social life, how many women do you feel are suffering from a mental […]
Conference welcomes the work initiated by UNISON’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group to begin to make UNISON’s organisation, events, policies, systems and good practice advice inclusive of non-binary members. Conference is concerned about scare-mongering media coverage of some organisations’ moves towards non-binary inclusion. This coverage has suggested that non-binary inclusion represents an attempt […]
Conference notes that Fibromyalgia is a much misunderstood condition that predominantly impacts on women, with some research suggesting 90% of those affected are women, aged between 20 to 50 years. Conference further notes that this condition is difficult to diagnose and difficult to manage which brings huge challenges especially for those women who want and […]
Conference welcomes the work that has previously been done by UNISON on hate crime. However, “mate crime” is less well recognised. Whilst there is no statutory definition of a ‘mate crime’, according to the Welsh government it is the term given to ‘the befriending of people, who are perceived by perpetrators to be vulnerable, for […]
Conference notes that 86% of cases referred to the government’s forced marriage unit involve women, and that the abusive consequences for women with learning disabilities are likely to be severe. Whilst it is possible that the family believe that their action in arranging a marriage without consent will protect their child, build strong family ties […]
WOMEN TRAVELLING SAFELY Conference is extremely concerned that women are feeling increasingly vulnerable when travelling in their daily lives, using public transport. Recent British Transport Police figures show 1,448 offences against women were reported on public transport in 2016-17 – which is a significant increase from previous years. Many were sexual assaults. Also, many of […]