Save Strathclyde Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Switchboard

Strathclyde Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Switchboard is the last LGBT Switchboard in Scotland open 7 nights a week, every day of the year. The service provides support to LGBT people with a wide range of problems and provides a listening ear to all who call. The service is run by LGBT volunteers. The […]

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Conference notes with concern the problems some disabled members encounter in attaining and/or receiving information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; especially whilst requesting information where some constraining time limits are involved. Both the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will not currently send information and letters […]

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FAILURE TO MAKE REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS

The Disability Discrimination Acts introduced for the first time a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. The Equality Act outlines three areas where employers and service providers must make reasonable adjustments. These are: a) Adjustments to a provision, criterion or practice; b) Adjustments involving the provision of auxiliary aids and services; and c) […]

FAIR REPRESENTATION FOR DISABLED MEMBERS IN UNISON

This conference is concerned about the level of discrimination currently faced by disabled people including the State Orchestrated Discrimination that this government implements against us on a daily basis. To fight this effectively we need to ensure that disabled people are represented at all levels of society including in our own union. Branches and regions […]

RESERVED DISABLED MEMBERS’ SEATS ON UNISON’S NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

This conference is concerned that positive action measures have been afforded to members of self organised groups that have not been afforded to disabled members, in particular in the union’s advice on the scheme of branch representation and in the union’s rule book provision to address the underrepresentation of women and black members. Whilst this […]

NDMC WORK PROGRAMME

This Conference is concerned that the work programme from the Disabled Members Conference does not appear to have acted upon by Branches and Regions. This Conference is also concerned about the lack of transparency regarding the work of the National Disabled Members Committee Conference therefore calls upon the NDMC to: 1.publish the work programme for […]

FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS AND DISABLED WORKERS

Conference agrees that the flexible working arrangements which have been adopted by employers are of immense value to many disabled workers as well as workers with care commitments for a disabled member of their own household. The fact that employers in the public sector have signed agreements with unions to implement various family and disabled […]

The Big Society and Disabled Workers

The Government’s Big Society idea is not convincing as a progressive vehicle for advancing social justice and equality for disabled workers. For a start its context goes hand in hand with deep and reckless cuts in public spending that are already producing disproportionate reductions in the living standards of disabled people. Government attacks on the […]

Conference Timetable and Regional Meetings

This Conference notes that many Regional Disabled Members Committees hold pre-conference training sessions for delegates to the National Disabled Members’ Conference. However, not all delegates can attend these meetings and it is useful to be able to hold a regional meeting at the conference itself. It can be difficult to timetable such an event in […]

On-line campaigning for disabled people

Conference welcomes the growth of on-line communities and social networking and the potential opportunities they offer for on-line activity for young and other disabled people. Conference notes the significant number of entries by disabled people to the “TUC’s 60 second advert” competition 2011. Conference also notes the growth of ‘armchair army’ online campaign groups e.g. […]

CON-DEM CUTS WILL HAVE A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON BLACK DISABLED PEOPLE

The announcement of further cuts to public spending and benefits on 20 October 2010 in the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review heralded yet more difficult times for disabled people. Disabled people were already set to be disproportionately affected by the Con-Dems emergency budget that claimed to be designed to redress the deficit in the economic downturn. […]

HAITI – MORE AID NEEDED

A devastating earthquake, the worst in 200 years, struck Port-au-Prince on the 12th January 2010, laying waste to the city with almost 300,000 people dead in the devastation. More than a million of our brothers and sisters are living homeless in the densely populated areas of Port-au-Prince and surrounding parts of the country, since the […]

BLACK MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATION AT NATIONAL DELEGATE CONFERENCE

Conference notes that: The number of Black members attending National Delegates Conference (NDC) is significantly low. Often Black members in our branches are not aware or provided the opportunity to attend NDC, despite UNISON having rules on proportionality and fair representation. Conference recognizes Unison’s use of Proportionality and Fair Representation in its ‘Scheme of Branch […]

WHY SHOULD BLACK MEMBERS AND BLACK ACTIVISTS PAY PRICE WITH THEIR JOBS?

Conference notes that the public sector cuts are well underway and that Black members are already being selected for redundancy. It is a concern for the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) and the wider union that Black activists are not singled out for their work on supporting members within their branches and workplaces. We also […]

BLACK MEMBERSHIP IN UNISON

Conference notes that Black members remain concerned with their under representation throughout UNISON structures. Many branches still don’t have self organised groups while at the same time employers are setting up Black Minority Ethnic Group/Forums. This can not only undermine the unions’ structures and take away branch development opportunities in terms of establishing Self Organised […]