Conference welcomes the new UNISON Equality Scheme which, in addition to covering the statutory equality streams of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, age and religion/belief, also seeks to ensure equality within the union on the grounds of low pay. Conference acknowledges that although the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) self organised group […]
Conference motions
Conference welcomes the progress made in raising the profile of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) participation in our union. We can be proud of our achievements in continuing to support and encourage self organisation at all levels of our union. Most of us take it for granted that we can organise and meet to […]
Conference welcomes: 1The UK Government’s stated commitment to working for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality; 2The development and publication this year by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of a strategy and toolkit for promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT people; 3Increasing recognition of the Yogyarkarta Principles on the application of international human rights […]
Conference notes that European Union law provides protection against sexual orientation discrimination – as well as age, disability, religion and belief – in the area of employment, but that there is currently no such protection in EU law against discrimination on these grounds in areas such as social protection, goods and services, health care and […]
Conference affirms that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality is an integral part of the organising and bargaining work of the union. Conference considers that UNISON’s Equality Scheme is a significant opportunity to achieve this. The purpose of the Equality Scheme is to make sure that equality is promoted and discrimination challenged in everything […]
Conference is aware that some employers encourage their employees to donate blood by allowing the National Blood Service (NBS) to run donor sessions in the workplace. Conference notes that for people who may be unable to donate due to current donor selection criteria (including many gay and bisexual men, as well as people with medical […]
Conference is concerned that there remains inequality in the provision of goods, facilities and services to Transgender members especially in the case of medical treatment. Looking at Wales as an example, last year, this conference heard how the Health Commission Wales (HCW), a body of the Welsh Assembly set up to fund specialist services in […]
This conference welcomes the recent formation of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Self-Organised Group (SOG) in the Highland Branch. This is an area of Scotland where there are few facilities for LGBT people. The land mass of the Highland branch is the same size as Belgium, with many small rural communities, where LGBT […]
Conference recognises the importance of identifying UNISON’s disabled membership and their access needs in order to facilitate the participation of disabled members in their union. The RMS is the main recording, mapping and organising tool of the Union at all levels. At the present time the information stored on the RMS with regard to disability […]
This Conference recognises the great strides made by disabled members self organisation to ensure this union is accessible to disabled members’ participation and involvement and the value of self organisation to help the union meet its rule book commitment to fair representation. We also recognise that much of the Code of Practice that relates to […]
Health students across the National Health Service face significant challenges throughout their studies; to become the nurses, midwives, paramedics, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners and social workers of the future. With clinical placements and high course hours on top of their academic work, the knowledge of a secure job at the end is a significant […]
Conference is appalled that mental health services are still so poorly funded in comparison with other parts of the NHS and that some staff in mental health teams are increasingly taking on more responsible roles, without the appropriate acknowledgement or reward for doing so. Government promises to prioritise mental health services have not been carried […]
Conference notes the statistics published by the NHS Security Management Service for 2006-7 showing a fall in violence against NHS staff in England. However Conference is concerned that in both the Ambulance and Mental Healthcare sectors the reduction was significantly less than elsewhere and front line workers in these areas continue to face unacceptable levels […]
This conference is concerned that many NHS employers are seeking to avoid their obligations under the Agenda for Change agreement by conducting restructurings of their organisations, or sections or departments within them, to deliberately achieve the down-banding or down-grading of staff, particularly those in clinical or therapy or professional specialist or leadership posts. The government’s […]
Conference notes the attention given to hospital infection rates, and the resulting government campaign for cleaner hospitals. Because of the requirement to make huge efficiency savings and continuing lack of resources, cleanliness in hospitals is suffering and more and more cleaning staff are having to take on extra duties including “hands-on” patient care. We note […]