National Agreement on Remodelling the School Workforce

This Regional Local Government Committee believes the National Agreement on Remodelling the School Workforce is a document, which should provide an opportunity to review and significantly improve the terms, conditions and working lives of school support staff. However for many branches the reality is that Headteachers and Governors, with the abrogation of the LEA of […]

2004 NJC England, Wales and Northern Ireland Pay Claim – What a Difference Two Years Can Make

This Conference agrees to submit the following motion on behalf of the South East Region to the 2004 Local Government Conference. This Conference notes that in 2002 hundreds of thousands of UNISON members took strike action in support of a pay claim which called for a flat rate increase of £1750 or 6%, whichever was […]

Raising the Profile of Lesbian and Gay Self-Organisation in Colleges of Further Education

This Conference welcomes the call in the resolution “Branch, Steward and Workplace Organisation” of 2003 National Delegate Conference for the development of a programme of improving organisation in further education (FE) colleges. Conference believes that this programme should include initiatives to raise the profile of self-organisation in FE colleges and to encourage participation by FE […]

Community Development

Conference recalls the National Executive Council’s decision that UNISON affiliate to the Standing Conference for Community Development (SCCD) and that this decision was taken as a result of a proposal made in the first place by the Youth and Community Workers Forum to the Service Group Executive. The forum’s original aim was to seek to […]

Professional Indemnity

UNISON believes that it is the responsibility of the employer to cover any act or omission on the part of a member in the course of their employment under the vicarious liability of the employer. Nevertheless this Conference believes that the cover which UNISON provides to its members in Health should be extended to its […]

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.

Women and Pensions *

Conference is concerned that women today are facing a considerable pensions gap: for every pound of income received by men in a pensioner couple, women receive less than 32 pence. Female single pensioners are one of the poorest groups of the older population, and currently nearly a quarter live in poverty. The issue of pension […]

Domestic Violence and Legal Aid

Conference notes the Government’s recent consultation paper on domestic violence entitled Safety and Justice. Conference welcomes the paper as a basis for discussion on improving responses to domestic violence. However, Conference believes that the paper does not go far enough in recognising the financial difficulties experienced by women who are ineligible for legal aid but […]

Women and Equality in Pension Provision *

Conference welcomes the excellent campaign launched this year by the Fawcett Society and Age Concern to raise awareness and campaign for improved pension provisions for women. Women suffer pay inequality during their working lives, which continues to impact upon them in their retirement. Twenty five per cent of single female pensioners live in poverty and […]

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 […]

Challenging Stereotypes on International and Transethnic Adoption

Recognising that international adoption is a particularly sensitive women issue: 1)Birth mothers do not necessarily want to give up their children but for some social, cultural or economic reasons, they might find themselves pushed to do so. 2)Infertility and adoptive mothers: acknowledging that infertility could be a man and/or a woman issue. In either case, […]