Conference picture someone working in the energy sector, and you are likely to mentally summon up an image of a white, middle-aged male. Although a lack of diversity isn’t unique to energy, it is an issue that needs solving. While the situation is improving, it’s not changing fast enough, recent events have rightly woken up […]
Conference motions
Black members are still under-represented at branch, regional and national level in local government even though they make a significant contribution to the workforce in local government. The trend that the National Black members are looking to change by working with the LGSGE and supporting initiatives to include Black workers across the service group Equality […]
Conference, funding cuts and the government’s long-delayed plans to address social inequalities is one of the major causes of in-work poverty experienced by Black Workers and the cause of severe inter-generational inequality in Black communities. Recent funding increases have not undone £15bn of cuts in central government grants to local authorities between 2010 and 2020, […]
This conference congratulates those branches that have secured settlements to correct historic underpayments of holiday pay for term time only (TTO) workers. Since the publication of the NJC guidance in 2019, UNISON has secured over £55 million in settlements for term time only staff who have been underpaid. The conference commends the joint guidance to […]
Conference notes that research by UNISON recently revealed that councils in England and Wales are facing a combined funding shortfall of just under £5bn for the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. The funding for councils subsequently announced in the Westminster government’s 2021 spending review fell woefully short of what was needed to fill that funding […]
This conference notes: 1) The pandemic has posed union organising new challenges, with activists learning new tools and means to engage members; 2) Engaging members working from home, particularly non-members, remains challenging; 3) Some employers used the pandemic to attack pay, terms and conditions, some using fire and rehire tactics; 4) That despite the challenges, […]
Conference recognises that young workers can make a real difference in local government branches by campaigning on the issues that affect them directly. Insecure/precarious work, zero hours contracts, training, discrimination, workplace rights, pay and conditions, mental health, and bullying and harassment are key issues experienced by young workers. Young people are more likely to be […]
Conference recognises the climate emergency and supports the de-carbonisation ambitions of national and devolved governments. Conference notes the key role that local government will play in delivering net zero strategies, being uniquely placed to lead by example and also increase public awareness of the scale and pace of change needed to meet the climate emergency. […]
Conference acknowledges the endemic nature of abuse, harassment and violence faced by women on a daily basis. The tragic murders of Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry Nicole Smallman, Sabina Nessa and many other women in the past year have brought to the forefront the scale of violence against women and reinforced how unsafe many women feel […]
Our Women Members are our greatest asset Conference welcomes the election of Christina McAnea as the first woman General Secretary of a major trade union. Representing more than a million women working across the range of public services, UNISON with its commitment to lay democracy and proportionality and fair representation enshrined within our rule book […]
UNISON can only be the strong, vibrant, effective union it strives to be if Black women are involved and active in every part of its work. Black women are still underrepresented at branch, regional and national level even though UNISON has 1 million women in membership. This is a trend that the National Black Members […]
Conference notes recent advice from the Metropolitan Police force that women should “run away” if they feel unsafe in the presence of a lone police officer in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2020. Not only is this advice discriminatory towards disabled women, but it also fails to address the root […]
Unison is committed to proportionality for women but the reality is that in many branches this does not happen. By the time women have done their jobs, looked after the children and their homes, checked on their elderly parents and helped with homework, there is little time to sit and map out what they need […]
Conference notes that the 2020 National Women’s Conference passed policy on how women were on a “cliff edge” with respect of to the poverty trap that the need to stay within the thresholds of Universal Credit has created. The pandemic has made this situation much worse. Disabled women are faced with a perfect storm of […]
Research suggests that there may be some variations for Black women in the average age at which the menopause takes place between women of different ethnic backgrounds. Some studies suggest that symptoms may be more prevalent and more severe for Black women, although research is not yet clear on the reasons for this. Black women […]