Tackling High Levels of Unemployed Black Disabled People

Conference notes that the number of unemployed Black disabled people is rising significantly. Indeed, recent figures indicate that Black disabled people are amongst the highest unemployed groups in society. This is unacceptable and discriminatory in a climate that is supposed to be committed to promoting and eliminating unlawful discrimination in the workplace. With the Agenda […]

Black Pride – Inclusion and Unity

Conference notes that the first United Kingdom Black Pride took place on 19 August 2006, making history in the Black and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities in Britain. UNISON was a key supporter for this event, however, the awareness of Black LGBT peoples existence is limited. There has been increased visibility of Black […]

A Commission For Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) that Delivers real Equality for all

Conference notes the Government’s manifesto commitment to introduce a Single Equality Act through a Discrimination Law Review was charged with developing a ‘simpler, fairer legal framework that fits the needs of 21st century Britain’. The fact that 18 months after the establishment of the Discrimination Law Review, no proposals or process of public consultation on […]

Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Asylum Seekers

National Black Members Conference believes: a)to be LGBT remains illegal in many countries across the world, with LGBT people facing life prison sentences, beatings, rape, torture and even death; b)even in countries where the state does not officially sanction severe repression of LGBT people, homophobia and transphobia are rife; c) the United Kingdom (UK) asylum […]

Progress of Black Members Issues in UNISON

The motion titled “PROGRESS OF BLACK MEMBERS’ ISSUES IN UNISON” Submitted by the National Black Members’ Conference held January 2006 to UNISON National Delegate Conference 20 – 23 June 2006 was not reached at National Delegate Conference June 2006. Birmingham Branch Black Members Self Organised Group calls on the National Black Members Conference 2007 to […]

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

As a result of the new immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, someone who has been accepted as a work permit holder will have to live through five years of uncertainty until the UK Government confirms they can remain here permanently and be granted permanent resident status. Conference believes that it is unfair that this […]

Retired Members’ Forums

The South East Region Retired Members’ Committee strongly objects to the resolution passed at the National Delegate Conference 2006 apparently down grading retired members’ committees to the status of forums, without consultation with retired members at any level. Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to vigorously seek to regain the original status for retired […]

Standing Order 4 – Limit of Speeches

Delete Standing Order 4.1 and insert new Standing Order 4.1: ‘The mover of a motion or an amendment shall not be allowed to speak for more than five minutes and each succeeding speaker for not more than three minutes, except where the Standing Orders Committee have decided otherwise.’

Standing Order 9 – Reference of Outstanding Items

Delete Standing Order 9.1 and insert new Standing Order 9.1: ‘If, at the end of the Conference, the Final Agenda has not been concluded, outstanding motions and amendments shall be referred to the National Retired Members Committee which shall report to members its decisions on those matters. All such motions and amendments shall be responded […]

COUNCIL TAX BENEFITS

Conference notes that over recent years many older people have been facing large increases in their Council Tax bills. However, up to two million pensioners are missing out on Council Tax Benefit which could cut their bill by £540 a year. Council Tax Benefit is the most unclaimed benefit of all – with pensioners losing […]

FREE TRAVEL

Conference congratulates those Public Transport Authorities who have joined together in partnership to provide free bus travel to those over 60 across and throughout their neighbouring boundaries. However, Conference deplores the fact that some authorities have less favourable schemes and continue to charge those over 60 the former concessionary fares for certain stages of a […]

Annual State Pension Increase

Conference supports the view that to use the information needed to set the increase in state pension in the month of March that year preceding the April announcement would be much fairer because it would take into account any recent increases in costs, rather than using September the previous year. Conference calls upon the National […]

CARE OF THE ELDERLY

Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to campaign for improvement in the monitoring of the quality of care for the elderly, disabled and chronically sick delivered by all providers. The malnutrition and abuse of the elderly must be eradicated, and the valuable work done by carers recognised. Conference also calls for the re-affirmation of […]

RESIDENTIAL AND NURSING HOME FEES/CONTRIBUTIONS

Conference condemns the continuing uncertainty for and inequitable treatment of elderly, disabled or chronically sick persons taking up or residing in a nursing or residential home. This is because of the independent powers vested in local authorities to determine the extent to which the applicant and/or their family is required to contribute to the costs […]

WINTER DEATHS

Conference notes that: 1)each winter more than 25,000 older people die from cold-related illnesses; 2)in the last five years more than 130,000 people over 65 have died as a result of the cold; 3)EU countries that experience more severe winters than the UK, such as Finland, Denmark and Austria all have much lower levels of […]