Winter Fuel Allowance

Conference is very concerned that the Coalition Government’s Budget on 21 March 2012 did nothing to help pensioners who are unable to cope with high winter fuel bills. The Winter Fuel Allowance was reduced in March 2011 by £100 (down from £400 to £300) for the over 80’s households and by £50 (down from £250 […]

QUALITY AND OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK TARGETS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis (literally meaning porous bones) occurs when the trabecular structure of bones becomes thin causing them to become fragile and break more easily. By far the most likely people to suffer from osteoporosis are older people, and particularly older women. At the end of last year, after many years of campaigning by the National Osteoporosis […]

RETIRED MEMBERS’ ANNUAL REPORT TIMETABLE

This Conference recalls that a motion was submitted by the South East Region to last year’s Retired Members’ Conference agenda, on the above subject, which was ruled non-competent by the Standing Orders’ Committee being ‘Beyond the Remit of the Conference’ since the timetable for all UNISON’s annual reports is set by the National Executive Council. […]

Basic State Pension/Pension Credit Guarantee

This National Retired Members Conference is concerned that the Basic State Pension (BSP) and Pension Credit (means-tested) are still well below the poverty level. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Minimum Income Standard for 2011 for a single pensioner, excluding rent or mortgage, is £154.62 per week, and for a pensioner couple £232.74 per […]

Care in Retirement & the National Pensioners Convention Dignity Code

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has produced a Dignity Code to uphold the rights and maintain the personal dignity of older people, within the context of ensuring the health, safety and well being of those who are increasingly less able to care for themselves or to properly conduct their affairs. Copy attached below. Signatories to […]

Frozen Pensions

FROZEN PENSIONS Conference deplores the government’s “frozen pensions” policy whereby British pensioners who live abroad in certain countries only receive a pension at the rate it was in the year they left the UK. There are around 555,000 “frozen” pensioners around the world, almost half of whom live in Australia. One of the oldest is […]

Security of Tenure

Conference is concerned to learn that some residents in care homes may not have security of tenure and that due to a number of factors could find themselves being evicted at short notice. Conference condemns the continuing privatisation of the residential care sector which seems largely to be responsible for this alarming new problem and […]

Scottish Police Value Added Tax (VAT) liability

The Scottish Government has put a Police and Fire Reform bill before Parliament. One of the aims of the bill is to realise considerable savings through the efficiencies of rationalisation. The new Police Service for Scotland will involve an amalgamation of the current 8 Forces and Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) into one Scottish Force. […]

Outsourcing, Low Pay and the Living Wage

This conference notes the devastating effects that the proposed outsourcing and privatisation processes being undertaken by West Midlands and Surrey Police forces will have on the Police Service and the communities that they serve. This conference believes that outsourcing will never be of benefit to our members, and that direct employment within the public sector […]

Grievance Procedures

Conference believes that in a time of cuts, there has been an increase in the use of grievance procedures to attempt to resolve difficult issues ranging from bullying in the workplace to favouritism. Conference notes that different employers have many different ways of dealing with and resolving grievances, and there is a wide variation in […]

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) being used as Police Officer Apprenticeships

This Conference notes the increasing use of the PCSO position as a stepping-stone into the rank of Constable. Some forces, including the Metropolitan Police, now require new Police Officers to serve a period of time as either a PCSO or a Special Constable before becoming a Police Officer. This Conference believes that the role of […]

Recruitment Materials for shift and weekend workers

Conference, the threat included amongst the Winsor recommendations to withdraw shift premia and weekend working allowances present Unison with an opportunity to recruit staff in occupational groups where the removal of these elements of pay would have a massive impact. This motion calls for Unison to produce specific recruitment materials aimed at these workers .

Loss of allowances owing to Winsor

Conference, the Winsor recommendations would mean that many of our members would lose a substantial amount of pay , and pension, because they will no longer receive shift premia or weekend allowance. This loss will mean people may lose their homes, will fall into debt, may decide they cannot afford to start a family, or […]

Uniforms in probation

This conference deplores the attempt by a probation trust to impose uniforms on some staff as part of their terms and conditions. This is a unilateral imposition and it is not motivated by health and safety requirements. This conference urges Unison probation negotiators to continue to seek to protect terms and conditions for all staff […]

Future of Police Staff Pay and Conditions (England and Wales)

Conference notes the publication of the second part of Tom Winsor’s Report into the future of police staff pay and conditions in England and Wales in March 2012. This second instalment of the Winsor Review was billed by the Government and Tom Winsor as offering a strategic vision of what pay and conditions should look […]