Review of Branch and Service Group Structures

Conference approves the recommendations contained in the National Executive Council’s report on the Review of Branch and Service Group Structures: Recommendation 1. National Executive Council (NEC) to produce a revised scheme as per rule G 1.2 to ensure that branches: a)give members a right to participate in their union; b)give members a right to be […]

Child Poverty/Anti Poverty Strategy

Conference acknowledges the fact that the number of children growing up in poverty has fallen by 700,000 since 1997, but notes that if the target of reducing the level of child poverty to half the level of 1998/99 by 2010-11 is to be met a further one million children will need to be lifted out […]

Attacks on Public Sector Workers: Violence Against Staff

The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 now provides greater protection in law for all emergency workers. A person guilty of an offence under this Act is liable on summary conviction to a fine. The Act follows the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 which made it a specific offence to assault, obstruct or hinder someone providing […]

Charter for Change for LGBT Equality

Conference welcomes advances in legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. These include Gender Recognition and Civil Partnership, outlawing of sexual orientation discrimination in goods, facilities and services and the promised Single Equality Act, which should enact duties across all grounds to actively promote equality as well as combat discrimination. However, disadvantage and […]

Access to Work

Conference welcomes the intention of the government to give greater assistance for disabled people and those suffering ill health who seek access to work. However it notes with concern that part of the government’s plans for the reform of Incapacity Benefit and replacement by an Employment and Support Allowance involve A) the potential for sanctions […]

Pensions White Paper and Restoration of the Link

Conference notes that on 25 May 2006 the government published a Pensions White Paper setting out how it planned to implement the recommendations of the Turner Report. The White Paper contains some positive proposals intended to increase the value of the state pension in the light of the decline of many occupational pensions and include […]

Mental Health Legislation

Conference welcomes some positive aspects of the Mental Health Bill that intend to make mental health services more able to respond to the complex, emotional and medical needs of people experiencing mental ill health. However, Conference is concerned that: 1)the proposed increased use of Community Detention Orders may jeopardise opportunities for disabled people to become […]

GUIDANCE TO MEMBERS ON SUPPORTING ASYLUM SEEKERS

Conference notes the continuing inhumane policies of the Government in relation to asylum seekers. Conference notes that UNISON members working in local government provide many services to asylum seekers and that many services are of a statutory basis. It is noted that legislation concerning asylum can contradict or in some cases over-ride other legislation in […]

Making the Gender Equality Duty work for all women in local government

Conference welcomes the new duty on local authorities and other public bodies in England, Scotland and Wales to proactively promote gender equality, following the similar, longer-standing duty in Northern Ireland. The gender duty requires local authorities, when carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the need to: 1Promote equality of opportunity between women […]

Building Equality and Diversity in the National Offender Management Service

This conference notes that the probation service in England and Wales has a tradition of working proactively on equality issues and well established equality networks for the various diversity strands. Conference expresses concern that this is not being effectively carried forward in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), particularly in the context of the mixed […]

Rise of BNP

Conference notes the: 1)rise of the British National Party (BNP) in the West Midlands and across the country; 2)joint work carried out with Searchlight and Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in campaigning against the BNP; 3)positive steps forward in working with other trade unions and establishing local activists and neighbourhood activities to combat the BNP; 4)establishment […]

Cuba

Conference congratulates UNISON’s International Department and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign on producing the excellent ‘Made in Cuba’ pack about Cuba’s unique health service and its international solidarity work in the Caribbean and Pakistan. Cuba’s achievements, internationalism and resistance to United States (US) backed aggression has become an example and source of inspiration among nations throughout […]

Definition of Violence Against Women

Research at national and international level has consistently shown that domestic violence is a form of gender specific violence. The recent report into violence against women by the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) acknowledges the role of violence against women in perpetuating the subordination of women in all societies throughout the globe. Violence […]

LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Conference notes that since Labour came into power in 1997, parts of local government have received welcome investment and started to recover from the lean Tory years. For example, by 2007/8, local government in England will have seen a 39% increase in overall funding in real terms since 1997. Much of this has been in […]

YOUNG MEMBERS DEMAND BETTER PENSIONS

Conference notes the results of the UNISON 2006 Young Members Survey, which demonstrated that the policy issue of greatest importance to our young members is improved pensions provision, which was rated as important or very important by 89% of UNISON young members. Conference therefore expresses our great concern at recent and current attacks upon pension […]