Conference welcomes the Governments commitment to supporting disabled people into work. However, conference is concerned that the proposals on welfare reform focus on sanctions, rather than on removing the barriers that disabled people face in accessing the labour market. High levels of unemployment and discrimination make it hard for disabled people to gain and retain […]
Conference motions
This Conference recognises the disproportionate incidence of disability status of women compared with men. Women experience female organ Cancers of the cervix and uterus, twice as many women than men are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and the incidence of mental health impairment is considerably higher for women than men. The impairment consequences of Female Genital […]
Conference applauds Government for recognising British Sign Language as the fourth indigenous language of the United Kingdom 18th March 2003. We applaud the Disability Equality Duty that requires public authorities to produce Disability Equality Schemes. However, we have concerns that the Duty does not recognise the cultural/linguistic model which is a vital part of Deaf […]
This Conference accepts a wide range of evidence that Black people are known to be concentrated in low paid, low skilled jobs and that their life expectancy is considerably lower than white workers. There is also research evidence that demonstrates a higher risk of workplace accidents and injuries for low paid workers, it therefore follows […]
Access to work is the right of every British Sign Language User, it is a functional employment right. It is an essential part of our employment opportunities to have Sign Language Interpreters to enable effective communication with other employers and provide equal access of communication within the workplace, both externally and internally. Without communication support […]
The Scottish Disabled Members’ Group is concerned that no accurate statistics exist on the number of disabled members in the union. The interim report of the Equalities Review would indicate that as many as 1 in 4 people in the UK could be classified as disabled under the DDA. Impending legislation would increase this number, […]
The Scottish Disabled Members’ Group recognises the excellent work done by coalitions of disabled people and Centres for Inclusive Living in the field of access audits. Conference calls on the NDMC to work with the NEC to: 1)Raise awareness of the expertise available to support the work of UNISON 2)Encourage partnership working, where appropriate, with […]
Delete Standing Order 9.1 and insert new Standing Order 9.1: ‘If, at the end of the Conference, the Final Agenda has not been concluded, outstanding motions and amendments shall be referred to the National Retired Members Committee which shall report to members its decisions on those matters. All such motions and amendments shall be responded […]
Delete Standing Order 4.1 and insert new Standing Order 4.1: ‘The mover of a motion or an amendment shall not be allowed to speak for more than five minutes and each succeeding speaker for not more than three minutes, except where the Standing Orders Committee have decided otherwise.’
Conference notes that the current pension system was designed in the 1940’s and cast women as dependents. This means that subsequent generations of women have lost out because of unequal pay, part-time working, and caring responsibilities giving them lower incomes over their lifetime and for too many, poverty in old age. The plight of women […]
Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to campaign for improvement in the monitoring of the quality of care for the elderly, disabled and chronically sick delivered by all providers. The malnutrition and abuse of the elderly must be eradicated, and the valuable work done by carers recognised. Conference also calls for the re-affirmation of […]
Conference condemns the continuing uncertainty for and inequitable treatment of elderly, disabled or chronically sick persons taking up or residing in a nursing or residential home. This is because of the independent powers vested in local authorities to determine the extent to which the applicant and/or their family is required to contribute to the costs […]
Conference welcomes the introduction of Age Regulations which will outlaw age discrimination in employment and training from October 2006. Although it may be possible to outlaw age discrimination in the work place, changing the culture of ageism will be much harder. Older people continue to have to accept differences in treatment on the grounds of […]
Conference notes that over recent years many older people have been facing large increases in their Council Tax bills. However, up to two million pensioners are missing out on Council Tax Benefit which could cut their bill by £540 a year. Council Tax Benefit is the most unclaimed benefit of all – with pensioners losing […]
Conference congratulates those Public Transport Authorities who have joined together in partnership to provide free bus travel to those over 60 across and throughout their neighbouring boundaries. However, Conference deplores the fact that some authorities have less favourable schemes and continue to charge those over 60 the former concessionary fares for certain stages of a […]