Sickness Absence

Conference notes: 1.that employers are adopting increasingly draconian procedures which allow for an increase in the disciplining and dismissal of genuinely ill employees; 2.that it is often the case that the same employers are failing to abide by health and safety procedures or the Disability Discrimination Act; 3.that one of the single largest causes of […]

Quality Contracts and the effects on bus company employees

Conference welcomes the involvement of the PTE Sector Committee in the close working relationship with Pteg through the auspices of the Public Transport Forum (PTF). Conference congratulates them on the work they have done in the promotion of quality contracts to ensure that the public will enjoy a bus service that they can be proud […]

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 / […]

Blood Donations in Energy Workplaces

Male Energy members who work in the electricity and gas industries who have tried to donate blood have found that the National Blood Service has a ‘blanket’ ban in place against men who have ever had sex with other men, and so they are advised in their workplaces that their blood will not be accepted […]

Closer joint working between the Water and Environment and Transport Group Executive

Conference notes that the NEC is undertaking a major review of Service Group and branch structures in line with the motion carried at last year’s National Delegate Conference. Conference further notes that discussions between the Water and Environment, Transport and Energy Service Group Executives about a possible merger did not command the necessary support at […]

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER MEMBERS – STRONGER TOGETHER

Conference celebrates the formation of UNISON’s new Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Self-Organised Group. Conference congratulates the National LGBT Committee, and all Regional and Branch Activists, on the success of our campaign. Conference applauds the huge effort involved in realising this goal, and thanks all participants for their thorough and professional work and support on […]

MONITORING OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY BY EMPLOYERS

Conference welcomes the growing recognition of the need to combat discrimination against LGBT workers and the agreements reached with some employers to integrate work towards LGBT equality into their equality programmes. Conference notes that the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 introduced a requirement on public authorities to monitor workers’ ethnicity, as part of the statutory […]

TRADES UNION CONGRESS GENERAL COUNCIL

Conference considers it to be a fundamental characteristic of trades unionism that workers choose their own delegates from among themselves and the delegates be accountable to the bodies that elected them. Within UNISON, proportionality, fair representation and self-organisation have developed this characteristic further than in most unions. Conference therefore welcomes how the Trades Union Congress’s […]

LOCAL AUTHORITY IMPLEMENTATION OF CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS

Conference celebrates the fact that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 will be brought into force on 5th December 2005. For the first time same-sex couples will be able to make a formal, legal commitment to each other. Conference, however, takes note of some Local Authorities who, whilst willing to carry out registrar/registry office ceremonies for […]

AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER 2.7

In SO2.7, delete “one lesbian and one gay man” and replace with “at least one of whom shall be a woman”.

AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDERS

Delete the phrase “Lesbian and Gay” wherever it appears and substitute the phrase “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender”.

BLOOD DONORS

This conference notes that the purpose of the blood services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood. Screening of blood donors for HIV is necessary for the safety of the blood supply because the available tests for screening donated blood for HIV are not infallible, […]

ADOPTION LAWS

Conference notes the fact that the law on adoption by same sex couples adopting has been changed in England and Wales and congratulates the Scottish Executive on it’s review of adoption law in Scotland and its proposals to allow same sex couples to adopt children and to allow same sex step parent adoption. The proposals […]

ACCESS TO CONFERENCE AGENDA PAPERS ON UNISON WEBSITE

Conference expresses its concern at the late publication of the Preliminary Agenda for our Conference this year. Conference believes that having the preliminary agenda available for regional and branch group meetings is helpful in allowing democratic decision making and the submission of amendments etc. Conference further notes that a decision has also been taken that […]