Protecting our Environment and maintaining our energy supplies

Conference notes with concern that the overwhelming consensus of scientific opinion and research is that global warming and climate change represent one of the greatest risks to life on our planet. Conference notes with regret and deep concern that the steps taken by the United Kingdom (UK) Government and the devolved administrations since 1997 to […]

Rule D3.7.5 Sectors

D3.7.5 Delete all

Not So Sweet Sixteen

Conference notes that there is a lack of consistency about the legal rights for young people when they reach the age of 16. At the age of 16, a person is considered old enough to pay taxes, to leave school, to marry and to join the armed forces, but not old enough to vote for […]

Racist Attacks

Conference notes the disturbing increase in racist attacks in the last year, one appalling example of which was the racially motivated axe murder of the black teenager Anthony Walker in Liverpool. It is now 13 years since the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence in London, which led to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and a drive […]

Rule Q Definitions

In Q Fair Representation Delete all and replace with “Fair representation is the broad balance of representation of members of the electorate, taking into account such factors as age and low pay, the balance between full time and part time workers, manual and non-manual workers, different occupations, skills, race, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity.”

Workers Memorial Day

Conference notes that on 11 November, and on the closest Sunday after that date each year within the United Kingdom, civic and religious ceremonies are held to mark the death and injuries caused as a result of war. It is with sadness that Conference also observes that although the International Trade Unions Movement has designated […]

PFI and Devolution – An Integrated Approach

UNISON has taken the lead in producing excellent evidence-based analysis of the fundamental damage that the private finance initiative (PFI) does to public service delivery and public service workers. It has also demonstrated that the sums do not add up and that this is not value for money. Now the chickens are coming home to […]

Organising for Growth

Conference welcomes the 2005 recruitment figures which show that UNISON recruited 162,000 new members with a net gain of 32,000 members. With the exception of 2002, this is the highest number of members recruited in any year since 1994. Conference welcomes the challenging recruitment targets set by the National Executive Council for 2006. Conference further […]

NHS Marketisation

Conference notes with dismay the growing negative effects that the marketisation of the National Health Service (NHS) in England is having on staff and patient services. According to a recent survey by the Health Service Journal, 63% of hospital trusts have been forced to close wards as a result of financial shortages, a quarter have […]

Public Policy and the Promotion of Equality of Opportunity

Conference notes with concern the recent findings of the Commission for Racial Equality on the spectacular failure of government departments and public bodies to meet, in the most elementary way, the statutory duty on the promotion of racial equality. This failure impacts on UNISON members as service users and employees. Application of a similar but […]

Palestine and Israel

Conference welcomes the recent UNISON delegation to Palestine and Israel to see first-hand the reality of the situation on the ground and to discuss what support UNISON can give to our sister trade unions. Conference reaffirms policy adopted at National Delegate Conference in 2005. Conference notes that the political situation in both Palestine and Israel […]

Migrant Workers: Their Rights and Our Responsibilities

Conference welcomes the work that UNISON has already done in respect of organising, representing, protecting and supporting overseas workers, particularly in the health sector where reciprocal membership agreements have already been reached with overseas trade unions. However, despite our best efforts, many migrant workers are on the receiving end of unethical and often illegal practices. […]

Identity Cards

Conference notes that the government has now passed the Identity Cards Act 2006, paving the way for compulsory identity cards and a national identity database. On April Fool’s day the government established a new agency, the United Kingdom Identity and Passport Service (UKIPS) to deal with passports and identity cards. The new agency should not […]

A Patient-Led NHS

Conference calls on the National Executive Council to reinvigorate its campaign to oppose the government’s National Health Service (NHS) policy, announced in August 2005, “A Patient Led NHS”. The title alone is misleading, as we are continually experiencing on the ground. Patients’ interests do not figure in the interpretation of this policy and our members […]

Three year Pay Deals

Conference notes that the current Local Government three year pay deal expires on 31 March 2007 Conference further notes that the current pay deal has given us a rise of currently 0.6% in real terms. Conference believes that 3-year pay deals: 1)Weaken the bargaining position of the union and 2)Risk falling behind inflation However, Conference […]