UNISON Health Conference notes: 1)The alarming news that the government is encouraging councils to increase council tax in an attempt to fund massive funding gap in health and social care provision. 2)The King’s Fund has reported that the share of GDP spent on health has dropped from 8.8% in 2009, to 7.3% in 2014/15, and […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that across the UK there are a number of current initiatives seeking to bring about service transformation. These include, but are not limited to, Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) in England, the ten year vision for health and social care based on the Bengoa report in Northern Ireland, and further moves towards more […]
This Conference notes that NHS pay has not kept up with the cost of living. With a fall in pay of approximately 10-12% many regions are having major staffing and recruitment problems. Especially in London and the South East where the cost of living tends to be much higher. For example, Oxfordshire is the most […]
In today’s climate, within the NHS, changes are constantly happening to turn it into a profit making business, and mergers, staff reductions, and other distressing actions have all occurred. Consultations with staff appear to take place on an ad-hoc basis and lack full and meaningful discussions and negotiation. Staff experience new challenges on an almost […]
For Black members who are not fully settled in the UK or do not have British Citizenship, immigration is a major issue. Immigration rules come and go and change overnight (as our European migrant worker colleagues are finding out!). A change in a shortage occupation list; a new salary threshold; a new English test requirement […]
Conference notes that the subject of stop and search has been debated on many occasions, but nothing has changed. People of African heritage are six times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police in England and Wales under Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and 29 times as […]
It is important that Black workers and members are equipped for the challenges within the changing and evolving landscape of the UK today. Conference recognises that a high proportion of Black workers eligible to join UNISON work in the “fragmented workforce” where they experience low pay and poor working conditions. Conference believes that recruitment is […]
The EU Referendum on 23 June and the decision of the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union sent shock waves through communities with the immigration debate becoming ever more toxic. The campaign itself resulted in unacceptable language and propaganda being used about immigration generating fear, division and a ‘them and us’ rhetoric. Since […]
This National Black Members’ Conference notes that Black people are far more likely to be diagnosed with a serious mental illness and in Britain are 17 times more likely than white counterparts to be diagnosed with a psychotic illness. There is a problem of inequality when it comes to mental health. With ongoing austerity, poverty, […]
The NHS employs 1.4 million people, many of these staff are Black, they work as brain surgeons, researchers, nurses, CQC inspectors, care workers to name a few. The NHS that relies on Black staff to function also discriminates against Black people in terms of opportunity, recruitment, promotion, bullying, victimisation (particularly if they whistle blow) and […]
This Conference notes that, at time of writing, there are around 3,700 Black young members in UNISON membership who have chosen to identify their ethnic origin on the RMS i.e. have identified themselves as either Asian other, Bangladeshi, Black UK, Black African, Black Caribbean, Black other, Chinese, Indian, or Pakistani. This represents approximately 6% of […]