Disability Hate Crimes

Conference condemns the continuing rise in hate crimes against disabled people in Northern Ireland. In 2011 more than 2,000 such offences were recorded here – up a third on 2010. Research by shows that nine out of 10 people with a learning disability had been a victim. Victims of disability hate crime continue to be […]

Disabled Women and Food banks

Conference is concerned to hear that disabled people many disabled women hit by changes to the benefits system are having to rely on food banks, a survey of nearly 4000 disabled people carried out by the Disability Benefits Consortium reveals that of those hit by changes to housing benefit – such as the bedroom tax […]

Enough is Enough – Earn my Vote

This Conference has grave concerns about the impact of this government’s policies on disabled peopleand we agree that as disabled activists in this union we need to send this strong message out to all political parties in the run up to next year’s election that enough is enough. Conference notes with concern the impact of […]

Black people and Disability – The impact of Welfare reform and benefit cuts

Many disabled workers are reliant on benefits even though they are working. Conference condemns the Coalitions Governments Welfare Reforms and the resulting adverse impact of the policies on our members, especially our Black disabled members and their communities. Many of our disabled Black members are low-paid and due to poverty wages, pay freezes and unwavering […]

Disabled Women and Access to Work

Conference is concerned to learn that disabled people are being expected to take considerable responsibility for part funding the cost of their reasonable adjustments that have been approved by and provided through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Access to Work Scheme (ATW). Self funding has an immediate and devastating impact on future work […]

Black People and Mental Health

Conference notes with concern the findings of the 2005 “Count Me In” census in England and the following censuses that people from Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black backgrounds are over represented in psychiatric care. Indeed, in May 2013, Health Minister Norman Lamb said in the House of Commons that “something [was] wrong” with […]

Disabled members taking a lead on recruitment

Conference will note that recruitment of new members is a priority for our union and one which we all need to proactively engage in. However conference will note that recruitment campaigns do not automatically ask activists with disabilities to take a lead on recruitment nor do these campaigns specifically target workers with disabilities. Conference will […]

What we want from a Labour Government

Conference will note that the austerity measures introduced by the ConDem government have had a disproportionate effect on disabled people. Benefits have been slashed and the work capability assessor has treated disabled people with callousness and inhumanity. Therefore the removal of the ConDem government has to be a priority for disabled people in the next […]

GOVERNMENT WELFARE REFORMS AND CREDIT UNIONS

We condemn the Government’s Welfare Reforms and the resulting impact of the policies on our members. Many members are reliant on welfare due to poverty wages, pay freezes and cuts to their terms and conditions. This has driven many into the arms of loan sharks and payday loan companies. Millions of disabled workers are reliant […]

Fair Representation for Disabled Members in UNISON

This conference is concerned about the level of discrimination currently faced by disabled people. Cuts to public services, welfare reform, changes to health and social care, reductions in disabled students allowances and bedroom tax have all targeted disabled people. To fight this campaign against disabled people disabled people need to be politically and societally active. […]

Equality Facility Time for Disabled Members

At the Discrimination Law Conference in January 2014 Professor Sir Bob Hepple QC said that “if a new government enacts only one new piece of equality legislation it should be to require equality representatives at workplaces” – such reps would require a legal right to time off to “be involved in drawing up and enforcing […]

Disability Related Absence

At Conference just last year UNISON attacked the government’s obsession with sickness rates, after figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that days lost due to sickness absence fell from 178 million in 1993 to 131 million in 2013. The figures also showed that the differences in absence rates between the public […]

AFTER 2015 – DISABLED MEMBERS AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Conference notes that according to the 2011 World Report on Disability published by the World Health Organisation and World Bank there are an estimated one billion disabled people globally. Disabled people face barriers to participation in society, such as in accessing development programmes and funds, education, employment, health care, communication and transport. Disabled people and […]

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR LGBT PEOPLE

One in four people experience mental health issues at some point in their lives, but there is still a lot of stigma associated with mental health impairments, making many people unwilling to disclose mental health issues in the workplace. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people still face high levels of bullying and harassment and […]

Save the Pensioner’s Bus Pass

It has been reported that the Government is considering introducing means testing for the Pensioners Bus Pass. This is a short sighted policy that will bring little benefit to the taxpayer. It will however bring isolation and misery to those pensioners who rely on public transport to travel but who will not be able to […]