Buddying and Mentoring

As National Women’s Conference is aware, UNISON is facing one of the most challenging times in our existence. One of the consequences of the job losses we are experiencing is the loss of many of our senior/experienced activists. Never has there been a more important time to encourage new women activists to come forward into […]

Valuing Maternity

Conference is concerned to note that in this time of austerity measures maternity, adoption, surrogacy and parental provisions are often being targeted by employers seeking to make savings in their budgets, particularly for those members working in the community and voluntary sector. Pregnancy discrimination already affects tens of thousands of women each year, with pregnant […]

Protecting women’s mental health

Conference notes that the issue of work-related stress has been of major concern to our union for many years. UNISON branches have been successful in negotiating workplace policies on stress and mental wellbeing and supporting members to remain in work, and UNISON has won compensation for members forced out of the workplace by unsympathetic employers. […]

The hidden impact of cuts

Conference recognises that the brunt of this government’s cuts and austerity measures are being borne by women. 1) The number of unemployed women is at a twenty five year high, with more than a million women already jobless, and hundreds of thousands of public sector workers set to join their ranks. Further, UNISON research reveals […]

Ending violence against women, an international perspective

Conference applauds the excellent work which UNISON at branch, regional and national level does in campaigning to end violence against women in all its forms. However, conference also notes that UNISON has a role to play in raising awareness of the atrocities which are committed against women across the globe. Rape and sexual violence continue […]

Universal credit, universal harm

Conference is deeply concerned at the potentially damaging effect that the government’s welfare reform and universal credit will have on women, their families and their lives. Already the changes to working tax credit, requiring at least one person in the household to work more than 24 hours per week, have meant that hundreds of thousands […]

Pensions – what we need to know

Conference notes that huge changes to occupational pensions are taking place, with the introduction of pensions auto enrolment. 1) All employees paying income tax and aged between 22 and State Pension Age are affected. 2) From the 1 October 2012 the very largest employers were required to ensure that eligible staff were automatically enrolled into […]