Electronic Staff Records

This Conference notes that, as part of its National Shared Services Initiative. The Department of Health is in the process of developing a new national payroll and electronic staff records system (ESR). This new system is intended to replace existing payroll and staff records systems currently used by all NHS employers and so manage and […]

The Changing Workforce Programme

The modernisation of the NHS is constantly bringing about new challenges for UNISON, its branch representatives and membership. One such challenge is the Workforce Development Programme and the rapid move to changing roles of all staff in the NHS and indeed, Social Care. PMS pilots, Walk in Centres, NHS Direct and numerous specialist diagnostic and […]

Membership Representation

Conference notes that negotiations on the final package for pay modernisation in the NHS are nearing conclusion. If the new pay system is accepted by UNISON members the current national sector structure which was designed to accommodate Whitley will no longer be relevant. Therefore the SGE should as an urgent priority: 1)Seek the views of […]

Healthcare Assistants – Barriers to Progression

The government, in the implementation of the NHS Plan, has highlighted the need for services to be designed with the patient at the heart. We believe that the role of the HCA has changed fundamentally over the last 10 years and even more so over the past 5 years. Yet barriers still remain in their […]

Involvement of the Community and Voluntary Sector where Contracts are reviewed and TUPE applies

Conference recognises the importance of ensuring that, where health and social care services operating under a partnership arrangement are subject to review and a subsequent procurement process, members and activists working in the Community and Voluntary sector including Housing Associations must be properly consulted and involved for the entirety of the process where the Community […]

Violence Towards Health Care Workers

During more than thirty years of conflict in Northern Ireland Health Care workers delivered, without prejudice, care to all sections of the Northern Irish Community. Today as in other parts of Britain attacks on the health care team are becoming more frequent and more violent. These attacks against health care workers and in particular ambulance […]

NHS Pension Scheme – Ill Health Retirement

This conference notes that the NHS Pensions Agency has contracted SEMA to provide medical advice on applications for ill health retirement. Conference further notes that there has been a widespread and systematic shift away from approving ill health retirement applications with cases which would have formally been accepted, being turned down on medical grounds. SEMA […]

Organisation and Recruitment in Primary Care

Conference notes the establishment of new Primary Care organisations and the planned future expansion in Primary Care and Community Health facilities including, Primary Care Trusts holding approximately 75% of the NHS budget and taking on the role of directly providing services. Conference therefore agrees that organising in Primary Care Organisations and Community Health is a […]

Life Long Learning

Conference congratulates UNISON on its excellent Lifelong Learning Programme, which is encouraging an increasing number of members to return to learning. However, Conference believes that further positive measures should be implemented to ensure the increased participation of women in education and training as a precondition for increased empowerment and gender equality. Conference remains extremely concerned […]

Privatisation and the Two Tier Workforce

Conference supports UNISON’s committment to well funded publicly owned, publicly controlled and democratically accountable public services and notes our opposition to privatisation (Positively Public Campaign). Conference notes UNISON’s ongoing campaign to put an end to the two tier workforce which results when private contractors employ new staff on different contracts, usually on far worse terms […]

Equal Pay

Conference welcomes the work done by the National Women’s Committee to promote UNISON’s equal pay campaign. Conference is pleased to note that the campaign for equal pay remains a priority area for UNISON nationally, which means that it should be prioritised for action in all service groups and regions. Conference also welcomes the announcement of […]

Black Women and Employment

Conference notes the TUC’s report “Black and Excluded” which looks at black workers and pay. The report notes that black women are disproportionately represented in certain sectors such as public health, education services and textiles, which are traditionally low paid sectors. Within these sectors black women are further disadvantaged by being concentrated in lower graded […]

Term Time Workers

The National Women’s Committee welcomes the work that UNISON has done on highlighting particular issues affecting term time workers and their employment status and the campaign for improvements in their terms and conditions of employment. The rights of term time workers are often inferior due to qualifying periods based on weeks worked and diluted annualised […]

Employment Rights for Women with Premature Babies

Under the current legislation, a woman giving birth to a premature baby that requires hospitalisation finds she has the same amount of maternity leave as the mother of a baby that can go home. This Conference recognises the additional stress on mothers and their families trying to cope with babies who have yet to come […]

Working Mothers Still Find Childcare Provision Lacking

Last year the provision of childcare and early year’s development formed two separate motions at National Women’s Conference, they were supported but were not selected to go through to the mainstream National Delegate Conference. This Conference calls upon the National Women’s Committee to take steps to research and co-ordinate examples of good employer childcare practices. […]