NOP Survey Action Plan

Conference welcomes the publication of the first ever national attitude survey of UNISON police staff members. UNISON now has a more accurate picture of the way in which police staff members are working, how they feel about their jobs and what they want UNISON to achieve on their behalf. Conference notes with concern the following […]

Change In Health and Safety Responsibities

Conference notes that section 95 of the Police Reform Act has moved the overall responsibilities for Health and Safety from Chief Constables to Police Authorities. This issue will have a major impact on all Police Authorities in England and Wales. It is not clear how this change in arrangements should be dealt with from a […]

Salary Pay Cards

Conference notes that the recent pay cards issued after the pay rise did not include the spinal column numbers. They are necessary to enable staff to understand the relationship between their salary, spinal column and local banding. Conference also notes the intention of the PSSC Trade Union Side to completely renumber the PSSC pay spine […]

Homophobic Harassment

Conference notes that: 1)harassment of lesbian and gay workers in the police service continues to be a major problem; 2)one tactic is use of the media to smear lesbian and gay workers, such as happened with Commander Brian Paddick; 3)often local papers and radio stations run such stories or carry letters attacking the dignity of […]

Criminal Records Bureau and “Disclosure”

Conference notes: 1)The importance of ensuring that young people and vulnerable adults are protected from members of society who may wish to cause them physical, mental or sexual harm; 2)That the Government has introduced the “Disclosure” process in order to achieve these aims; 3)We continue to support the Government in achieving these goals. Conference believes […]

Nursing Students

The nursing sector welcomes the work that UNISON has done over the last 3 years to raise awareness on issues which effect-nursing students: specifically our campaign to return student nurses and midwives to salary and employment status. Whilst we recognise that entry figures are up in nurse diploma courses we believe that even more significant […]

Health Workers and Violence

This Conference believes that it is unacceptable for NHS staff to go to work and to be exposed to unnecessary risks of violence. Conference welcomes the Scottish Health Committee’s Zero Tolerance Campaign against NHS staff being assaulted at work. In particular Conference notes the 6 point action plan: 1.The Scottish Health Minister and NHS trade […]

Tackling Racism

The Health Group Executive notes the NEC commissioned, 2001 and 2002 Labour Research Department reports of surveys into action by employers and Unison branches on tackling institutionalised racism since the publication of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report in February 1999. Conference notes the disappointing response to the questionnaire which could indicate that racism is not […]

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 […]

Assaults on Ambulance Staff

This conference is extremely concerned to note the continuing and increasing incidence of assaults on Ambulance Staffs. It welcomes the Government’s zero tolerance campaign aimed at reducing violence towards NHS staffs in general, but notes that frontline Ambulance Staffs remain particularly and unacceptably vulnerable. It therefore calls for a greater degree of consistency of approach […]

Health Service Strategies on Domestic Violence

Conference welcomes the publication of the Department of Health Resource Manual on Domestic Violence, which has been distributed to all NHS Trusts. Conference also welcomes the initiatives taken by the Scottish Executive to encourage health service employers to improve service delivery for those experiencing domestic violence. Conference reaffirms that a major dimension to service delivery […]

Violence and Aggression in the NHS

We welcome the work that has already been undertaken to raise awareness of violence within the NHS. The Governments introduction of zero tolerance is a good place to start but does not reflect challenges that the NHS faces today. In recent press we have seen nurses and healthcare support workers attacked in their place of […]

Early Retirement for Ambulance Staffs

This conference notes the failure of successive Governments and NHS employers to introduce an early retirement position for frontline Ambulance staffs. It notes that nearly 70 per cent of these staffs retire by the age of 55 because of work-associated ill health and burnout. Many of these staffs are incapable of finding alternative employment as […]