Health and Safety in the probation service

Conference notes with concern that the new contracts in the Probation Service agreed by the Ministry of Justice do not take account of many health and safety and data protection issues. Members working in the service report that: a)the layout of the workspace leads to interviews with clients being conducted in open-plan offices, with no […]

Flexible Working in Operational Roles

Over the last 4 years we have seen a wholesale reduction in police staff work forces across the country At the time of the general election in 2015, police staff budgets have been cut by 20%. The impact of this funding reduction has fallen disproportionately on police staff. Police staff, rather than police officers, have […]

Dispel The Myths Around Protected Police Budgets

Conference notes that in his November 2015 Spending Review, Chancellor George Osborne stated “Now is not the time for further Police cuts, now is the time to back our Police and give them the tools to do the job” (BBC News 25 November 2015). Yet in April 2016, the South Yorkshire Police outline policing plan […]

Policing on the cheap – exploiting the unemployed

Conference notes that Renfrewshire Council has announced an initiative to “offer 11-month, full-time ‘traineeships’” whereby the unemployed can be trained up as special constables but paid the National Living Wage. The local commander appears to support this “innovative” initiative. The Scottish Police Federation describe this as a “cynical attempt to deliver policing on the cheap” […]

PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF SEX WORKERS – DECRIMINALISATION FOR SAFETY

Conference notes that the resolution “LGBT and sex worker organising and the fight against HIV” adopted by 2015 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Conference recognised that: 1. Amnesty International’s decision making forum, the International Council Meeting (ICM), had voted to adopt a policy to protect the human rights of sex workers and to advocate […]

AFTER BREXIT – HOLDING TRUE TO THE VALUES OF THE L

Conference condemns the racism, xenophobia and anti-immigrant tone evident in much campaigning in the lead up to the vote on European Union (EU) membership on 23 July. Conference further condemns the lies told about the link between EU membership and the future of the United Kingdom (UK) in relation to the economy, migration, human rights […]

PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PrEP) FOR THE FUTURE – U

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) may no longer be a death sentence for those who become infected, but did you know there is more individuals can actively do to prevent infection? HIV has long been synonymous with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, yet an important tool with the capacity to halt the spread […]

WE STAND TOGETHER TO SAY NO PLACE FOR HATE CRIME

Conference believes that all forms of hate crime are abhorrent. Conference notes the rise of reported hate crime incidents in the United Kingdom (UK). In 2014/15, there were 5,597 ‘sexual orientation’ hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, a rise of 22% on the previous year, and 605 ‘transgender identity’ hate crimes, […]

TRANSGENDER – NEXT STEPS IN TRANS INCLUSION

Conference welcomes the increase in the numbers of trans people participating in UNISON lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activities and events, both at a regional and national level, with more trans members than ever before attending both conference and the trans network meeting. Conference we celebrate the achievements made around transgender issues over the […]

LGBT SELF-ORGANISATION – INCREASING STRENGTH AND I

Conference affirms the benefits of attending this lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) conference, including opportunities to discuss current issues, shape the direction of UNISON’s LGBT work, learn more about UNISON and be re-energised for the coming year of activism. Conference believes that many of our regional groups, LGBT branch self-organised groups (SOG) and the […]