Furthering Our Equalities Work in the Business and Environment Service Groups

Conference welcomes the developing programme of work on equalities in the Business and Environment Service Groups, led at national level by the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group, in liaison with the national self-organised group committees. Conference notes the positive impact this has had on organisation of lesbian and gay members at branch, regional […]

Offshoring

Conference notes that the TUC estimates that between 150,000 and 200,000 jobs could be at risk in the private service sector due to work being offshored. Conference believes that offshoring on the scale envisaged is not inevitable but while it is happening the priority must be to defend our member’s jobs. Therefore we welcome work […]

Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation – Policing the New Legislation

Conference notes: i)That the long-awaited legislation protecting workers from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has now been in force for a number of months; ii)That some equalities policies, such as the Centrica policy, already included sexual orientation, and others have now been amended. However, Conference further notes that there is still much to be […]

Pensions – The Right to Decide

Conference notes with concern the Labour Government’s proposals to make legislative changes to ensure that pension schemes do not allow individuals to receive their pensions before the age of 55. Since 1990 power companies have traditionally reduced staffing levels during reorganisations, mergers, outsourcing, relocation exercises etc. by natural wastage, early retirements and voluntary redundancies. Voluntary […]

Review of the National Lay Membership Structure

This Conference notes the actions taken to date by the Executive regarding the review of the Energy, Transport and Water & Environment service group structures at national level. Conference notes the outcome of the consultation exercise with all three service groups and in the light of this agrees that further work is necessary subject to […]

Young Members in Energy

This Conference welcomes the young members recruitment figures for 2003 which saw 22,033 young members join UNISON. Recruitment and organising is one of UNISON’s priorities, and it is essential that UNISON involves young people at all levels of the union. In order to encourage more young members participation in Energy events, such as this conference […]

National Incentive Recruitment Campaign

This Conference regrets our very successful national incentive recruitment campaign has been replaced by Best Organised branch due to funding issues. Recruitment is a lay member activity and its success is crucial to the continuation of UNISON as an effective representative organisation. Conference therefore welcomes the NEC’s decision to make recruitment a national priority this […]

Partnership Fund

This Energy Service Group Conference notes the existence of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Partnership Fund which is established to jointly improve workers lives where partnerships exist. We note that both Thames Water and United Utilities jointly with the Trade Unions have recently been successful in obtaining £50K and £45.5K respectively which benefits […]

Unexplained Infant Death

Conference acknowledges the gross injustice that has persecuted, separated from their children, and imprisoned women largely on the evidence of an eminent professor. Professor Roy Meadows’ theories on unexplained infant death have been discredited by both the medical profession and the courts. Some women who received custodial sentences have now been released and others are […]

Angela Cannings

Conference congratulates Angela Cannings on winning her appeal in November 2003 against her wrongful conviction for murder for the tragic deaths of her children from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Conference applauds the appeal court judges for accepting the new medical evidence presented which clearly demonstrated a genetic link in cases of multiple SIDS, and […]

Standing Order 2 Standing Orders Committee

Insert new 2.2: “No delegate shall serve on Standing Orders Committee for more than three consecutive years.” Re-number following points.

Organising for Equality for Lesbian Workers

Conference welcomes the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, which came into force at the end of last year. Lesbians face widespread discrimination and prejudice in the workplace. Until the regulations came into force, they had no legal protection from such discrimination. Conference recognises, however, that laws only make a difference if they are used. […]

The Childcare Challenge

Conference notes with great concern the increasing cost of childcare and the increasing difficulty in finding high quality and flexible childcare places. The typical cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under two is £128 a week, more than £6,650 a year, which is up 6.7 per cent on last year. And in […]

Action on Tackling Domestic Violence and Abuse *

Conference commends UNISON’s partnership work with Women’s Aid and government on tackling domestic violence and abuse. Developing local workplace policies on tackling domestic violence and abuse is an important part of the strategy to reduce violence experienced by members and their families. We should never forget that domestic violence and abuse is a crime. Conference […]

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Women should rightly be proud of their campaigning to draw public attention to the impact of breast cancer – one in every nine women in the United Kingdom continues to develop this disease at some point in her lifetime. During October each year, both cancer charities and women’s organisations make special efforts to publicise the […]