Conference notes that despite the significant numbers of Black workers in the frontline work force, they are disproportionately underrepresented in managerial and senior levels within their departments and tend to be concentrated in the lower levels. Some commentators point to the ways in which institutional racism continues to play a key role in Black workers’ […]
Conference motions
Conference believes that Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an impairment that must be taken seriously. SCD affects millions of individuals globally and significantly impacts their quality of life. SCD is an inherited blood disorder that affects the production of red blood cells, causing them to be abnormally crescent-shaped and prone to blockages in blood vessels. […]
Conference notes that neurodiverse women still fail to get the support they need in the workplace because of out-dated and sexist stereotypes. Conference further notes that UNISON subscribes to the social model of disability and as such we focus on breaking down barriers and identifying ways of changing the working environment to make it accessible […]
Conference notes the publication of “Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper”, published by government in March 2023. The government claims this new set of policies related to welfare benefits will help more disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. However, conference believes the opposite is true […]
Conference is proud that UNISON is one of the founding members of the Disability Employment Charter which now has 147 organisations signed up to it, including trade unions, disabled people organisations, public service employers, charitable organisations and private sector employers. The disability employment charter was founded because of the disadvantage that disabled people experience in […]
Conference believes 13 years of Conservative-led government have been a disaster for disabled LGBT+ people and looks forward to the opportunity presented by the next general election for the UK to kick the Tories out of government. However, despite the opinion polls, this is by no means guaranteed. We, as trade unionists, must help to […]
Conference notes: 1)Many disabled people across the United Kingdom rely on daily care visits to maintain their independence through care visits and care packages. 2)Although the system of requesting and agreeing a care package sits with local authorities, care packages are often delivered by the private sector. 3)The care sector has been substantially privatised for […]
Conference notes the important work done by the National Disabled Members Committee in developing and promoting the 2019 ‘Let’s be reasonable’ report which showed the difficulties faced by many disabled workers in securing reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Conference also welcomes the wide range of bargaining guidance, information and resources available to UNISON representatives wanting […]
Conference notes that UNISON has campaigned vigorously on behalf of disabled people. Disabled people across the UK have a right to equal access to health care just like anyone else. Yet the potentially unlawful use of ‘Do not Resuscitate’ notices for fit and healthy people during the COVID-19 pandemic was discriminatory and put lives in […]
Conference notes that since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a marked shift towards home or hybrid working in the WET sector. In pre-pandemic times, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) workers faced challenges in the workplace, including discrimination, harassment and a lack of inclusivity. While we note that there are advantages to agreed […]
Conference notes that there is a lack of diversity among field-based operational roles within the WET industries. This is a real cause for concern as it hinders the creation of an inclusive and welcoming work environment in WET industries. Field-based operational roles within WET are mostly roles that involve lone working, for example monitoring and […]
Conference notes the significant changes to working patterns and practices that have happened since the pandemic, including a large rise in remote and hybrid working, including in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) sector employers. Conference believes greater flexibility should be welcomed where this works for staff – for example, some disabled workers may find […]
UNISON has approximately 5,000 Health and Safety representatives across the union working hard to defend members’ health and safety at work. Over the past few years health and safety has emerged again as critical for protecting members’ rights at work, especially in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) service group. However, the gender balance of […]
Conference notes the success of UNISON’s Year of Disabled Workers 2022. With the year now over, we have seen renewed focus on the experience of disabled members in our union, in the workplace and in society, including those in the WET service group. We used the year to highlight the important contribution our disabled members […]
Conference notes with concern the evidence that the last few years have shown there to be an increasing deterioration in good mental health of workers across public services and including in Water, Environment and Transport (WET) workplaces. This impact was significantly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw people cut off from family, friends, and […]