National Pensioners’ Convention

Conference supports the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) in its request that all trade unions encourage retired members to set up arrangements for the payment of £1 annually towards the work of the NPC. Much of the campaigning work of UNISON’s retired members is carried out through the NPC and without an adequate source of income […]

Driving Tests for Those Over 75 Years of Age

Conference deplores the proposal to introduce a compulsory driving test for those persons over the age of 75. The implementation of any form of driving test without discussion and consultation with affected parties and without the production of evidence to support the need is discrimination against the older driver. Conference therefore strongly requests the National […]

Social Care and Funding for the Elderly

Conference welcomes the report by Sir Derek Wanless on a new system of care for the vulnerable, frail and elderly in our society and the funding proposals contained within it. Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to vigorously campaign to get the main recommendations of the report implemented. The campaign to be conducted in […]

Security in Retirement

Conference notes that the response to the Government’s White Paper “Security in Retirement – towards a new pension system” has to be submitted by 11 September 2006 to the Department of Work and Pensions. In the light of the responses received by the Government, a modified paper will then be presented to Parliament. Conference therefore […]

Communications to Retired Members 2006

Conference recognises the importance of effective communications in informing all retired members of information which affect their interests. These include matters in which the National Retired Members’ Committee is engaged on our behalf, in order that appropriate and timely advice may be given and support for policy generated. Equally, the views and concerns of members […]

Free Travel Pass

The Government included in the 2005 Budget, the introduction of free local bus travel for pensioners in April 2006. The implementation has been costly and complicated. In some towns, for example Southampton, free bus travel is limited to within a city boundary, with two exceptions, one to a hospital, the other to a supermarket, both […]

Local Government Pay

This conference condemns the announcement by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, that public sector pay rises will be capped at 2% over the next three years and his call for more local and regional flexibility in pay bargaining. Conference notes that: 1)Inflation is currently running at 2.6% 2)Recruitment and retention problems in local government are running […]

Threatened Hospital Closures

Many hospitals and accident and emergency departments are being threatened with closure. This will increase the distance that a lot of elderly people, who do not have their own transport and have to rely on other more costly means, have to travel to get to the alternative establishments. Also a lot of pensioners live on […]

Proportional Representation at Retired Members’ Conference

Retired Members’ Conference 2003 passed a motion which instructed the National Retired Members’ Committee to submit proposals to the 2004 Conference, to establish a fair quota system for branch attendance at future Retired Members’ Conferences. No proposals were submitted to that Conference. Conference, therefore, instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to implement a quota system […]

The UK Government’s Energy Review

Conference welcomes UNISON’s response to the Government’s Energy Review. We note that contrary to the growing clamour for a nuclear renaissance that there is no proven economic or environmental case for doing so. Conference believes that there remains an untapped potential to reduce the UK’s dependency on energy through energy conservation and savings measures. Conference […]

LGBT Conference

This conference welcomes welcome the increased participation by Energy Members at the 2005 LGBT Conference in Belfast. The Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group (BEEOWG) has successfully engaged with Branches and Regions to raise the LGBT profile within Energy through specific LGBT events and, more recently, the successful Equalities Day. Conference is disappointed however […]

Offshoring in Energy

Conference notes with concern the growing number of energy utilities deciding to offshore work overseas. In the last twelve months npower, British Gas and Vertex have publicly announced their offshoring plans, each leading to significant reductions in their UK workforce. This trend is largely stimulated by the competitive pressures of the liberalised UK energy market […]

Health and Safety Reps Seminar

The Service Groups covered by the Business and Environment Unit held a successful Seminar of Health & Safety Reps at National level in the early part of this decade. Many Health and Safety related legislative changes that affect members in the Energy Service Group have occurred since this time and this Energy Conference calls on […]

The Disability Equality Duty

This Energy Conference welcomes the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 which will impose a new Disability Equality Duty upon energy employers from December 2006. We believe these duties could help reconstruct a barrier free society and provide equality of opportunity for the millions of disabled people who are in work or wanting work but who need […]

Developing an Effective LGBT Equality Strategy for Energy

Conference welcomes the growing recognition of the need to combat discrimination against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) workers and the agreements reached with some energy employers to integrate work towards LGBT equality into their equality programmes. Conference further notes that some energy employers are seeking to introduce monitoring of workers’ sexual orientation and / […]