Conference is appalled at the government’s decision to abolish the 10p tax rate, a decision which forces more than five million workers up into the twenty per cent tax bracket and which adversely affects people in the poorer half of the population, those earning less than £18,000 per annum. Despite the government announcing some further […]
Conference motions
Conference welcomes the new measures announced in the Government’s Equality Bill aimed at tackling inequality in the workplace, but believes that the proposals do not go far enough. In its response to the consultation on the bill, UNISON had raised concerns that whilst the duties may be extended across all strands, the actual requirements within […]
Add new final sentence to standing order 16.1 This is subject to the agreement of the parties that submitted the motions.
In Ethiopia seventy five per cernt of the population live, on average, two and half days walk from an all-weather road. There are few maternity medical services and as a result approx nine thousand women each year will develop an obstetric fistula (a hole in the birth canal). Fistulas can be caused by rape but […]
Conference applauds the National Women’s Committee for its previously undertaken work on sexual violence and the conference policy decisions to support the work of Rape Crisis. However there is much still to do. Conference believes that rape crisis centres are essential and distinctly different in their role to the government created Sexual Assault Referral Centres […]
Equality is at the very heart of UNISON, and one of the union’s stated aims is to promote equality and challenge discrimination, so Conference applauds the arrival of the UNISON equality scheme. The UNISON equality scheme has meant that every region, department and service group of UNISON now has a two year equality action plan […]
Conference congratulates Southall Black Sisters (SBS) for their victory in the High Court in July 2008 when they challenged Ealing Council’s interpretation of the Race Relations Amendment Act and helped secure the future of BME women’s services. SBS were forced to take their case to the High Court when Ealing Council withdrew funding from the […]
Conference congratulates the Million Women Rise Coalition (MWRC) on the success of the 2008 march and rally which saw over 5,000 women and girls gathered in London to protest male violence against women and endemic gender discrimination. The rally was addressed by a range of inspiring speakers from across the country, representing a broad spectrum […]
This conference notes with increasing concern the seeming lack of increased participation and activism of women in a union that is proud to have a million plus women in membership. In order to establish where we are it is essential that we have accurate and current data; that will give us a baseline on which […]
Ovarian cancer is still the fourth most common cause of death from cancer amongst women in the UK. Every year about six thousand women in the UK are diagnosed with this disease, the majority of these cases only have a few symptoms, which are treated as other illnesses until finally being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. […]
Conference believes that all girls and women should have a future free from the fear of breast cancer. Conference supports the Government, the NHS and its staff in their continued commitment to improve breast cancer services in order to make the vision of a future free from the fear of breast cancer a reality for […]
Conference recognises the value of Fair-trade in getting a better deal for poor people from trade. Conference welcomes: The fact that the number of producer organisations in developing countries now selling into UK markets has grown to more than 350; The Government to encourage Fair-trade in all of its Departments which includes all the local […]
Conference notes that in 2007 the National Autistic Society (NAS) published its report containing the largest ever survey conducted into autism and education in the UK. The report highlighted the lack of provision and training for teachers dealing with autism in general, including families struggling to access support for their children. This was consistently worse […]
Conference notes the right to seek asylum is an internationally agreed human right under the Refugee Convention of 1951, which Britain signed after the Second World War, promising to provide sanctuary to those fleeing political and other forms of persecution. Conference further notes that many asylum seekers in Britain are incorrectly labelled “economic migrants” or […]
Conference believes that the best tool to recruit Black members into UNISON is by highlighting our success for individual members and collectively at a local, regional and national level. Conference further believes that more Black activists must take up active roles within UNISON at all levels as this will in turn also promote and encourage […]