Conference notes that there have been some staff wellbeing initiatives by employers in the Water, Environment and Transport service group related to mental health support, these are not consistent and there is still further to go for employee wellbeing. Conference recognises that at least one in four of us will experience mental health problems at […]
Conference motions
Conference is concerned to note that increasingly both branch activists and lay officials are finding themselves suffering extreme stress and anxiety when dealing with the levels of case load that they are presented with. In some cases representatives in WET have been placed under extreme personal pressure by employers. Conference notes that these pressures on […]
In 2009, the Department for Work and Pensions embarked on an experiment to understand the scarcity of non-white faces in top managerial posts in UK organisations. 2,000 fake job applications were created in response to 1,000 real vacancies across multiple sectors, professions and pay grades. Similar CVs – one with a “traditional Anglo-Saxon” name and […]
With an average members age being 56 UNISON is a middle-aged union. Conference recognises that two key areas of under representation within UNISON’s membership categories are retired and young Members. This is also evident within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Self Organised Group (SOG). The 2017 Retired Members Conference reported that; “UNISON has […]
Conference applauds the work that was done by UNISON in developing the ‘How to be a good trans ally’ document, produced last year. The feedback on this document has been extremely positive and has showcased UNISON’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, supporting all of its members. Conference is aware that for many within the trans […]
We in the bi caucus have become aware of racism within our own bi community spaces. Stonewall have released research which shows the scale of racism that exists within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Britain. Just over half of all Black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT people (51%) report experiencing discrimination […]
County lines, or ‘going country’, is a national issue involving the use of mobile phone ‘lines’ by groups to extend their drug dealing business into new locations outside of their home areas. This generally involves a group from an urban area expanding their operations by crossing one or more police force boundaries to more rural […]
At the Pride Parade held in London, on Saturday 7th July 2018, a transphobic protest took place at the front of the march and stole the limelight from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and NHS workers. The ‘hi-jack’ of the front of parade was carried out by ten lesbians who held a banner that […]
Conference next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. These events had a profound effect on the advancement of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights. They were the catalyst for many movements and groups and also had an influence that led to led to Pride events that commenced a few years […]
Conference notes that disabled people face many challenges in the workplace but this is compounded when disabled workers are also lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). The recent Stonewall publication ‘LGBT in Britain – Work Report’ found: • Disabled LGBT workers are one and a half times more likely to face harassment and discrimination in […]
Conference notes that Deaf and disabled Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) people may experience barriers in accessing essential sexual health services due to lack of appropriate communication and understanding from service providers. Problems include lack of BSL interpreters and electronic notetakers and test results not being communicated in ways that can be understood. Some […]
Conference notes that racism in the workplace persists and that Black workers are less likely to access professional development and training. They are also less likely to win promotion as a result, and consequently Black workers are often over-represented in lower paid grades, affecting workforce diversity patterns. Where a worker is also disabled this discrimination […]
The application processes on which we rely are rapidly moving to online platforms. For example, applications for Council Tax support, housing benefit, access to work, and Universal Credit. Conversely, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) can only be applied for using a paper form, with no online option available. Some disabled people use assistive technology, which is […]
Disability leave is time off from work for a reason related to someone’s disability. Employees with a disability may require time off if their mobility, or their illness – relating to their disability, becomes more severe. Our disabled members in this situation are frequently treated unfavourably and this then becomes inequality, even though the Equality […]
Conference notes that securing reasonable adjustments in the workplace is a challenge faced by many disabled workers. However young disabled workers in particular all too often do not have the tools, experience or job security to request the reasonable adjustments they are legally entitled to at work. This may be due to various factors, including: […]