Administration of Medicines and Medical Procedures in Schools and Other Educational Settings

Conference notes that discussions continue with governments’ across the UK, around responsibility for administration of medicines and medical procedures in educational settings. Current guidance requires schools to develop policies on administration of medicine and medical procedures to support with pupils with health conditions. Staff are expected to administer a range of treatment, from basic medicines […]

Mutuals and Co-ops

Conference notes the continuing interest in co-ops and mutuals from central and local government. The Localism Act effectively gives council employees in England the right to require a service be privatised, and the government the power to fund them to do so. Both the Mutuals Taskforce and Mutuals Information Service are supporting mutuals ‘spun out’ […]

Elder abuse

Conference notes that currently the process and systems to protect older people throughout the United Kingdom are only based on guidance. Conference believes adult protection should have the same status as child protection. Every year nearly half a million older people in the UK are suffering some form of physical, psychological, financial and/or sexual abuse. […]

RPI not CPI for indexation of pensions

Conference condemns the decision of the coalition government to change the indexation of pensions from the Retail Price Index (RPI) to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from April 2011. Conference believes that this change in indexation from RPI to CPI together with the rising cost of living will result is a significant increase in pensioner […]

Rule I Disciplinary Action

Rule I 10.2 Delete “nominate” and add “elect” and after “Panel”, “in line with the Union’s elections procedures.”

Workfare is unfair

Conference opposes workfare which is simply a charter for unscrupulous employers to exploit workers and maximise profits, forcing people to take up unpaid work under the threat of losing their Job Seeker’s Allowance. Conference condemns the scandalous workfare stories coming to light – such as that of a young woman forced to give up voluntary […]

Apprenticeships

Conference welcomes news that there are still some positive developments in respect of apprentices in local government, such as the recent agreement between St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council and UNISON to work together to deliver high quality apprenticeships and help towards easing youth unemployment in West Suffolk. Conference is concerned however […]

What future for young people in local government?

Conference notes that a substantial proportion of the local government workforce is due to retire in the next 10 years, yet little is being done to encourage young people into the service. Cuts are leading to job losses and reducing the opportunities for young people to join the service. Conference believes that the attacks on […]

Campaigning against government pay policy

Conference notes that on 29 November 2011 George Osborne announced a further government attack on public service workers by announcing the intention to cap public sector pay rises to just 1% for two years – after the current pay freeze ends. This at a time when the whole economy annual increases for the quarter ending […]

Rule D Sectors

Rule D 3.7.3 After “shall be” insert “directly or”

COMP C – Equal Marriage

Three in five people of faith in Britain support equal marriage! Stonewall’s five yearly polling of public attitudes shows that more that 80% of British adults under fifty now support the proposal. Civil partnerships are not enough, and as such treat us differently from everyone else. This is discrimination. You should not have to tick […]

Tory Attack Group

Conference notes that the public and private sectors are in the midst of the most sustained attacks on our members on the services we provide under the guise of efficiencies. Conference notes the January 2012 launch meeting of the Trade Union Reform Group whose stated aim is that public bodies should not pay for time […]

Consultation on LGPS Proposals

This Conference welcomes the completion of the lengthy negotiations on the future of the LGPS and the opportunity for members to now individually and collectively determine their view on the proposals. Conference endorses the following position agreed by the LG Service Group Executive on 31st May 2012: “This SGE shares the frustration over delays in […]

LGPS 2014 Examples

Conference notes that proposals for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) were released on 31 May 2012. Conference further notes that the factsheet “LGPS 2014 – Examples”, published on UNISON’s website on 31 May uses different assumptions for price and earnings growth than those used in the UNISON pensions calculator publicised in protect our pensions […]

Palestine

Conference notes and reaffirms UNISON’s existing policy and the leading role taken by UNISON and its predecessor unions on Palestine over more than two decades. Central to this policy is the right to self-determination and justice for the Palestinian people culminating in a viable, sovereign and contiguous independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Conference […]