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 […]
Conference motions
Conference welcomes the news that the TUC has called a national demonstration for 26 March 2011 and understands that opposition to the austerity measures is gradually building up in the UK with demonstrations having already taken place as well as lobbies of Parliament and protests nationwide following the Con Dem announcement of eighty three billion […]
This Conference recognises that some aspects of government’s proposals published in ‘Universal Credit’ (November 2010) to reform the state welfare system are reportedly designed to make it easier for a single assessment of need. Such a system should relieve some of the burdensome pressure of women to make duplicate applications to a number of statutory […]
Conference recognises and welcomes the Single Equality Bill which will change discrimination law in a number of important ways. We are concerned however, that a new wave of restructuring across the Public Sectors (inc. Local Government, NHS, Higher Education & Voluntary Organisations) are to have a negative impact on Black, Low Paid, Women, Disabled, Lesbian, […]
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 […]
This Conference is concerned that while many Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) have a positive experience of working for the NHS, some feel that they no longer have good career prospects and that there is a lack of training opportunities for AHPs. This means that therapists have limited chances to develop a wide range of skills […]
Conference notes with concern the twin developments of the commitment of the Tory-Liberal Government to an ‘any willing provider’ approach to NHS services and the erosion of the value of TUPE as a protection for NHS staff transferred to other providers. Previously TUPE, the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Transfers in the Public Sector […]
Conference believes that the policies of the current government pose the greatest threat to living standards of health workers of any time in the 63 years of the NHS. Conference thinks that the government is using the deficit as an opportunity to cut the public sector paybill rather than increase taxation to those responsible for […]
Conference re-affirms its commitment to the development of apprenticeships within the NHS and notes the success of the last Labour Government in significantly increasing the number of apprenticeships in the NHS in England. Apprenticeships in the NHS can be used as a significant career development tool for new and existing staff providing the means of […]
Conference notes that some NHS Foundation Trusts, such as Norfolk and Norwich, have been attempting to break from the national NHS pay and conditions embodied in Agenda for Change. We believe that this amounts to a fundamental attack on the safeguards on pay and conditions that a national scheme provides, and opens the door to […]
Conference notes that registered nurses have an obligation under the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) Code of Conduct to formally raise any concerns they have about patient safety. This is also incorporated into the NHS Constitution (England). We also note the importance of raising concerns about poor standards of patient care, in the wake of […]
In a bid to save money, many health boards are focusing on the nursing wages bill and are using unsustainable tactics, such as freezing posts, not replacing registered nurses when they leave or retire and converting vacant registered nurse posts to a lower grade as they cost less. Despite all of the repeated assurances, from […]
This Conference is concerned that too few health staff have the facility to take negotiated disability leave when their impairment or long term health condition requires them to take time off work. In particular we are concerned that specific non apparent impairments relating to auto immune deficiencies including Rheumatoid Arthritis, HIV, Lupus, Ankylosing Spondylitis etc […]
Conference is concerned that, following the government’s decision that all NHS trusts will be expected to become foundation trusts, there is a real danger that we will see a major shift away from our hard fought and negotiated terms and condition of employment under Agenda for Change. We have already seen some foundation trusts take […]
Historically NHS reorganisation brings with it many challenges and is often coupled with significant job losses. However major NHS reorganisation taking place concurrently with the impact of the comprehensive spending review is a recipe for disaster. The national nursing sector is deeply worried about the impact that this will have on our patients, the profession […]