Conference is alarmed at the 15,000 local government redundancies across the UK in the 15 months to February this year and deplores the negative consequences for the individuals affected and local economies dependent on their spending power. Conference notes that in an otherwise austere pre-Budget report, an additional £150 million was announced for the ‘Warm […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that education has become more inclusive with increasing numbers of children and young people attending mainstream schools, colleges and nurseries and extended school services. UNISON supports inclusive education but believes, for the safety and well being of children and staff, this must be adequately resourced, planned and supported. Conference further notes that UNISON […]
Conference welcomes the decision by government to agree new LGPS regulations that extend pensionable service for civil partner survivors’ pensions to include pre-1988 service, so that entitlement is equal to that of married couples. Conference acknowledges that the issue of survivor benefits for civil partners has been pushed by UNISON at every opportunity, in responding […]
This Conference notes: The Children and Young Person’s Act 2008 and the piloting of independent ‘Social Work Practices’ to care for ‘Looked after Children’. That ‘Looked after Children’ are a very vulnerable group of young people who are cared for by the state either due to them being removed from the care of their family […]
Conference notes with concern the increase in absence monitoring within local government. Conference believes that the management tools used have a detrimental and disproportionate affect on women employees, when employers may use such scoring systems in the process of selection for redundancy, or as an excuse for dismissal when seeking to cut staff numbers. Schemes […]
This Conference welcomes the Government’s Personalisation Agenda and the increased choice and control it will give many disabled and older people over how their individual personal and domestic needs are met. However, we are very concerned that many Local Authorities are already using the introduction to Self Direct Support (SDS) to make cuts to the […]
This Conference welcomes the Equality Bill as a consolidation of existing equality legislation, making provision for levelling up across characteristic strands: age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. We also applaud the work UNISON has undertaken as a senior stakeholder in discussions with government, particularly on aspects related to: 1.Indirect […]
Conference agrees that both the Disability Discrimination Act and the Public Sector Equality Duty have advanced the cause of reducing discrimination against disabled workers in the workplace. However, not all forms of disability are apparent to any other person except the individual directly affected. Workers with non apparent disabilities, whether mental health, physical or other […]
Conference notes that on 8 June 2009 th UK Government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means that the UK is now legally bound by the Convention. The Convention is the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century, re-affirming disabled people’s human rights and signalling a further […]
Recruiting and organising school staff remains a major issue for this union. The proposed negotiating framework for schools in England and the changing working environment, resulting in increased roles and responsibilities for all staff in schools, highlight the need to improve the unions’ organisation in this area. Conference is aware that some branches have been […]
This Conference affirms UNISON’s respect and support for the dedicated members in Social Care who provide care to the most vulnerable people in our society and welcomes the moves towards registration of Home Carers. This union believes that often the media and politicians from all parties are too willing to lay the blame for our […]
This Conference notes with regret the latest advice from UNISON issued on 2 May 2009, around the issue of “Rarely Cover” in classrooms. This advice has been sent direct to schools and is already being used by headteachers to undermine existing pay and conditions of service. This Conference notes that in Kirklees the local WAMG […]
This Conference welcomes the introduction of Direct Payments for disabled and older people which has taken place over the past few years, along with the recent pilots of Individual Budgets which increase choice and control for disabled and older people over the services they receive. However, we are concerned that there are insufficient safeguards to […]
Conference welcomes the decision of the NEC to approve the merger of the Water and Environment and Transport Service Group Executives. Conference notes that the Executive’s planning for the merger of the two service groups was unavoidably delayed while the NEC consultation on the review of service groups took place. Consequently there has not been […]
This Water and Environment conference congratulates Scottish Water branch on industrial action taken in opposition to an imposed pay figure by their employers which led to an acceptable pay offer. Other branches in Water and Environment are encouraged by this development and call on the national officers to produce a guidance document to assist branches […]