New Labour’s Continued Privatisation of the NHS

This Conference condemns the New Labour Government for its slice by slice privatisation of the NHS. In contrast with the extremely limited concessions on workers rights in the so called “Warwick Agreement”, New Labour has continued full steam ahead towards it’s goal of the full privatisation of the service. The latest gifts to big business […]

Cost of Living Supplements/High Cost Area Supplements

This conference notes that under the Agenda for Change Agreement, Cost of Living Supplements (COLS) are to be “re-expressed” as long-term Recruitment and Retention Premia. This measure simply perpetuates the fundamental injustice of COLS, which were introduced without negotiation in 2001, payable to nurses and other health professionals in some areas, but not paid to […]

Collective Responsibility

This branch calls upon the Service Group Executive to prepare further guidance and advice over the issue of collective responsibility of SGE Members.

Agenda for Change – Terms and Conditions

This Conference recognises the enormous amount of work from both partners in agreeing the Terms and Conditions Handbook for Agenda for Change. Much has been done to modernise and harmonise agreements. However as previously indicated in the proposed agreement a number of former national agreements will now need to be agreed at a local level. […]

Anti-Racist Strategy

This Conference supports UNISON’s anti-racist strategy and recommends that all lay and full-time activists on regional and national committees receive training around the strategy and it’s implications. Composite F passed at the 2004 health conference outlined how UNISON health branches could use the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to ensure employers are complying with their […]

Agenda for Change

Conference notes that the Agenda for Change proposals were accepted in the ballot of UNISON members and are now being implemented. Acceptance and implementation do not mark the end of the process of negotiations on new terms and conditions and pay structure but only an interim stage. Conference affirms that UNISON regards Agenda for Change […]

35 Hour Working Week

Conference reaffirms its commitment to a 35 hour week. It notes that the main reason for Agenda for Change terms being 37 ½ hours is due to the shortage of nurses. As a consequence of this the agency bill for the NHS is outrageously enormous. Conference accepts that the Government has made some progress in […]

Patient Transport Services and Privatisation

Ambulance Trust Staff are best suited to the safe, caring transportation of patients to and from hospitals or other care centres whatever their level of urgency. This conference is very concerned at the use of the private sector, and in particular security companies to carry out such duties. Cost cutting and insufficient numbers of in-house […]

Future Pay Awards

Conference notes and welcomes that with a 2006 pay settlement matching inflation we will have achieved a £6.00 minimum wage in April 2006. However Conference does not accept that the Agenda for Change agreement in any way precludes UNISON for fighting for further improvements in this or other fields and resolves that, in order to […]

Use of Fire Service Staff to Answer Emergency Call-Outs

Conference notes that in some parts of the country Fire Service Staff are being asked to carry out the functions of the Ambulance Service. Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to: i.Support the FBU in resisting this; ii.Campaign against this and campaign for adequate resources for Ambulance Staff.

Funding of Agenda for Change Knowledge and Skills Framework

This Conference is concerned that the Knowledge and Skills Framework within Agenda for Change will be compromised if insufficient resources are made available for its ongoing implementation and reaffirms that personal development of the workforce is crucial in delivering a first class NHS. Conference calls upon the NHS Staff Council to seek assurances that this […]

Allied Health Professionals Student Debt

This Conference is aware that the burden of debt incurred by AHP students has not been adequately addressed despite previous calls by UNISON and other student representative organisations. The recruitment and retention of graduate AHP’s in the NHS combined with poor entry level pay continues to be undermined by the level of debt incurred during […]

Commissioning Mental Health Services

This Conference recognises that some time was needed before we could judge how the new commissioning arrangements were working following Shifting the Balance of Power. It has become increasingly obvious, however, that the commissioning process for mental health services is cumbersome, time consuming, adversarial and iniquitous. Many decisions are left until well over the commissioning […]

Sector Committees

Conference notes that with the introduction of Agenda for Change and the demise of the Whitley Councils, UNISONS National Sector Committees come under the spotlight. Areas currently covered by National Sector Committees are: Administrative and Clerical Ambulance services Ancillary and Maintenance Nursing and midwifery Professional and Technical “B” PT “A” (Professions allied to medicine) Senior […]

Mental Health Nurse Training

This conference wishes to express its extreme concern over the way in which mental health nurse training is currently organised. In many parts of the country student mental health nurses have to go through a core foundation year. This leaves them only two years to develop the skills and gain the experience and confidence they […]