DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION – MODEL BITE-SIZE SEMINAR

This Conference recognises that in this current political climate the Tory-led Coalition Government is systematically eroding the employment and civil rights of disabled people, it is therefore crucial that UNISON ensures activists are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to assist them in challenging public service cuts and to deal with discrimination cases being […]

ACCESS TO WORK – INADEQUATE BUDGETS

This Conference recognises that the Department for Work and Pensions Access to Work Scheme has been vital to many of our disabled members’ reasonable adjustment needs in public service workplaces. An adequate package of support to meet the cost of adjustments can play a significant part in disabled people’s employability, it can affect career prospects […]

Increasing the Participation of Deaf Members

Conference recognises and commends the work that the National Disabled Members Committee has undertaken with regards to Deaf issues However, Conference is concerned that, because of cultural and linguistic issues, prejudice and the workplace environment – it can be more difficult for Deaf members to participate in UNISON’s branch, regional and national democratic processes or […]

British Sign Language (BSL)

Conference welcomes the British Deaf Association (BDA), Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD) and the Signature campaign for British Sign Language – Recognition and Beyond Conference notes that BSL has been recognised by Government (since 2003) as an indigenous ’language in its own right, regularly used by a significant number of people’ this was after […]

Dealing with Disability in the Workplace

This conference recognises the increased pressure put on disabled members by managers and supervisors being unaware of the responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). This lack of knowledge puts additional strain on our disabled members and often results in them having to stay off work longer that required due to the lack of reasonable […]

Lack of Publicity for Retired Members

Since Interactive ceased production very little information of direct relevance to retired members has been made available by UNISON to individual members. U-magazine has mentioned retired members only in passing on the letters page. It was suggested that an on-line version of Interactive might be produced but so far this has not happened and the […]

ETHICAL CARE

Conference recognises that with an ageing population, older people will increasingly need quality home care services. Therefore it is vital to improve the UK’s homecare system for the people who receive it and the workers who provide it. However, a survey commissioned by UNISON into the current state of homecare illustrated the many failings of […]

Winter Fuel Allowance

Conference is very concerned that the Coalition Government’s Budget on 21 March 2013 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 […]

RETIRED MEMBERS ORGANISING IN UNISON

Due to the Coalition Government’s twin track to on the one hand selling off as much of the public sector as they can, and on the other hand frantically slashing any services and budgets they still control in order to cut their way out of the recession caused in part by their policies in the […]

Carer’s Allowance

Conference believes that as many older people as possible who need care and support should, where practicable, be able to remain in their own homes. Conference believes that both the current and proposed means tested Carer’s Allowance is inadequate and results in many people choosing not to be carers to family or friends because they […]

Liverpool Care Pathway

This Conference notes that the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) has been the subject of emotive reporting across all media recently. These reports have included allegations that NHS staff are using the LCP to justify prematurely ending the life of older people who are bed blocking and/or costing too much to treat. It has also been […]

Retaining Members When They Retire

Conference recalls the resolution (motion 27 as amended) of the 2011 Retired Members’ Conference which noted the efforts of many branches and branch retired members’ groups to retain members when they retire but regretted the apparent lack of support, co-ordination and reporting to sustain these efforts. The resolution instructed the National Retired Members’ Committee (NRMC), […]

One in Eight – Make it Count!

Conference notes that of UNISON’s membership of 1,306,500 at 30 September 2012, over 160,000, nearly one-eighth, were Retired Members. Conference also notes that the general management and control of the union between National Delegate Conferences is vested in the National Executive Council (NEC) which has full power and authority, subject to the rules and National […]

UNISON Website – Retired Members’ Page

Conference notes that, in contrast to the rest of the UNISON website, the Retired Members’ page is sparse, seldom revised, badly out of date and has been so for a long time. Conference believes this reflects poorly upon UNISON. Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to seek to have the page maintained to the […]

UNISON Charter for Older People

Conference recalls the UNISON Charter for Older People which was, it found, useful material to retain members at retirement and to promote UNISON, its Retired Members’ Organisation and trades unionism generally to old people and their organisations. Conference is disappointed that the charter is long out of print and there are no plans to re-issue […]