Conference notes research that tells us that more and more women are binge drinking and that alcoholism is on the increase. Alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of a woman developing heart disease, various cancers, including breast cancer and other chronic health conditions. Conference requests that the National Women’s Committee develop information to raise awareness of […]
Conference motions
Conference welcomes the provision for statutory paternity leave but notes with concern the low level of take-up. Conference considers this is explained by: 1)the level of statutory paternity pay, currently a maximum of £106 per week; 2)limited eligibility, restricted to the baby’s father or the partner of a woman on maternity leave, and 3)the confusing […]
Conference agrees that access to birth control and abortion is crucial for women’s equality. The 2005 general election campaign saw unprecedented attacks on a woman’s right to choose, and the anti-choice lobby is adopting increasingly aggressive tactics to seek to restrict abortion rights. In particular, the sensationalist focus on later abortion is designed to confuse […]
Conference is pleased to acknowledge UNISON’s recent increase in the childcare and dependency allowance to £32 per day. In the current financial climate Conference’s concern is that this does not reflect the true cost of childcare in many parts of the country, especially in the south east of England where the cost of living is […]
Conference notes with pride the work which has been undertaken by UNISON’s women’s organisation in campaigning on the issue of breast cancer awareness, access to services and the causes and prevention of breast cancer. Conferences agrees that it is essential for world class breast cancer services, provided by the National Health Service, to be available […]
Conference is concerned to note reports that some delegates to National Women’s Conference are paid subsistence rates lower than those for their branch delegates attending National Delegate Conference. It is clear that not all branches have a consistent policy for subsistence for their members which can lead to discriminatory policies in respect of subsistence rates […]
Conference welcomes the work that UNISON has done in respect of representing and organising overseas workers in the public sector. However, this motion is to raise through the National Women’s Conference the issues facing women migrant workers who are encouraged to come to the United Kingdom (UK) to work, either by choice or those who […]
No trade union is more committed to fighting poverty than is UNISON. Conference is proud that this is so. But Conference wishes to raise a note of caution. This caution is not intended to cause any less pressure to be brought in regard to making poverty history. But Conference believes that women will continue to […]
Conference is disappointed to learn that at the National Delegate Conference in Glasgow last June the Women’s Self-Organised Group (SOG) was the only SOG not to hold a caucus meeting. Conference wishes to remind the National Women’s Committee that caucuses are key political events at which the body of the SOG membership can: 1)recognise themselves […]
Conference notes with concern that many women on the receiving end of domestic abuse are not aware they can invoke a non-molestation order against the perpetrator. Molesting means harassing, pestering or interfering with you or your children in some way, and also includes assault. Assault can mean pushing, punching, slapping, throwing objects, spitting at you […]
Fifteen percent of women suffer serious period pains each month, 35 per cent of women suffer moderate pains. Some women suffer pains so strong they are comparable to labour pains. But worse than this is the prospect that your employer will just mark down another absence, without discussion or understanding, and that this will affect […]
The recent murder of Clare Bernal at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge highlights once again the failures of the criminal justice system in protecting women against male violence. Conference believes that until violence against women is given a priority by government and legislators, women such as Clare Bernal will continue to die needlessly at the hands […]
Conference notes that: 1)the number of part-time workers has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. There are now 7.3 million part-time workers in the United Kingdom and over three-quarters of them are women; 2)in UNISON about 40 percent of our women members work part-time; 3)women working part-time are earning on average 40 percent less […]
Conference commends the National Women’s Committee for the hard work it carries out throughout the year. Unfortunately, the National Women’s Committee is faced with an unrealistic workload. The tasks arising from the previous National Women’s Conference motions, together with valuable time spent planning and preparing for the next annual National Women’s Conference, are impracticable. Motions […]
The Prime Minister confirmed his commitment to improving employment rights in a speech at the TUC’s 2004 Congress. He said employers do not succeed by abusing employees (14 September 2004). The Prime Minister reaffirmed his position on a number of employment issues, confirming the government’s commitment to: 1)ensuring that people are able to exercise a […]