WOMEN MEMBERS
National Women's Conference 2010 Report
A full list of all the motions (as well as links to the details of the motions) and the subsequent decisions on those motions is available HERE.
Gerry who is from a police background talked about the inroads made in women getting a voice in the union and the improvement in dealing with Domestic Violence. However, he stated that there was still a long way to go in gaining equality for women. He noted that in a recession women were hardest hit and there was an increase in Domestic Abuse. Gerry stated to Conference that for his year in office he would be concentrating on campaigning against Domestic Abuse. He felt that reps and branches should have more knowledge of Domestic Abuse and be better equipped to deal with members who have suffered as a result. Gerry mentioned that in the 70s Domestic Abuse was just termed a "Domestic" when the police were called out and women were left in dangerous situations which often led to untimely deaths. Gerry stated that this had improved but that there was alot more that could be done. He mentioned the Strathclyde Police Website where sufferers could contact one of many advisors and there were police that were specifically trained in dealing with such situations. Gerry ended his speech on stating that campaigning should step up around protecting public services and that more jobs should be created not cuts. He noted however that the alternative to labour would be worse in the upcoming General Election.
Standing Orders Committee 1 was approved with no questions.
Noted that UNISON had been lobbying and negotiating in regards to the ISA and there was updated information on the website.
Women's Health and Violence Against Women campaigns were ongoing and the Committee was continuing to support these.
Noted that there was a regional round up section where each area had a chance to show what work they were doing.
No questions were raised and the report was support. Access to a copy is available from either myself or Sharon Grice if anyone wants to look at it.
Motion 1: Job Share Consequences - Carried with amendments.
Emergency Motion 1: No More BPA (a drug in baby's bottles linked to breast cancer and other chronic conditions already banned in Canada and the USA) - Carried.
Motion 2: Continuing to Campaign for a Breast Cancer Free Future - Carried
Fringe Meeting
Attended meeting on The Single Equality Bill. Noted that the Bill was still grey in that it used words such as "consider" and "due regard". It was also noted that if a new government came in before it got to parliament it could be thrown out. Discussion around the use of the Equality Impact Assessment and whether it was just a tick box exercise.
FRIDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2010
Standing Orders Committee 2 was approved with no questions.
Motion 4: Black Women and Breast Cancer - Carried with amendment
Motion 5: A Million Voices - Why Women Must be Vocal - Carried
Motion 6: Why Women Should Vote - Fell as West Midlands Region who put the motion were not present at Conference.
Motion 7: Equality Impact Assessments - Carried Noted this motion was vital in promoting equality in the workplace and could be a valuable tool in changing policy as there was a legal requirement to ensure there was no adverse impact on groups of people. It was agreed that it was vital all reps were trained and had good knowledge of this process to ensure that the employer did not use it as a tick box exercise.
Emergency Motion 3 - Campaign Against Cuts (using the Equality Impact Assessment within defending public services campaigning) - Carried
Motion 8: The Personalisation Agenda - Carried with amendments
Noted this was to give disabled and/or elderly women their own allowance to pay for carers. Noted this was a minefield for employment rights for such assistants and also another form of cuts for local authorities.
Motion 13: Lower the Age and Frequency of Smear Tests - Carried
Motion 14: The Seven Year Gap (there are currently no smear tests between 18 and 25 years of age) - Carried
Motion 15: Free sanitary products for women on low pay, the minimum wage, or in benefit of receipts of benefits (amendment for all women to receive free sanitary products) - Carried with amendment.
Motion 16: Surrogacy - The rights of the intended mother - Carried
Motion 17: Returning to work after Maternity Leave - Carried
Motion 18: Women and Pensions - Carried
Motion 19: Women and Cycling - Carried with amendeent Noted both our delegation and many of the East Midlands delegation could not believe this was on the agenda above issues such as Rape convictions and Domestic Violence. We also believed that it would be more practical to have a motion on improving public transport which would help women of all ages particularly those low paid i.e. those with children/in remote areas.
Motion 20: Women and the Far Right - Carried
Motion 21: Women United Against Facism - Carried
Bev Miller: National Women's Committee member. Bev has been around sometime and is a very confident and engaging speaker.
Sabina Miller: Sabrina had managed to get a all girl muslim team to the Olympics which is impressive in this current environment!
Put in my vote for the 2 most important motions;
Women and Pensions (Pensions are being cut across the public sector particularly for women when they use service history to calculate the final lump sum which discriminates against women who take breaks for children and carer's leave. Both Sharon and I felt it was crucial to fight this at a National level)
Women United Against Fascism - With the EDL and the rise of Islamaphobia this is on the rise. Facists are misogynists and women need to fight to ensure their rights are not stripped away from them.
Noted that Bev Miller and Eileen Best would be speaking at National Conference.
Motion 22: Domestic Abuse Training - Carried with 2 amendments.
Motion 23: Domestic Abuse - Carried with amendment
Motion 24: Regional rape conviction rates - It's a postcode lottery - Carried with amendment.
Motion 25: Rape crisis mainstream funding provision - Carried.
Motion 26: Isolation of Women - Carried.
Composite A: Demand Change - Carried.
This was asking the Government to decriminalise prostitution but criminalise those who pay for sex along the "Nordic Model" lines. Both Sharon and I voted against this and some of the East Midlands delegation abstained. We felt that this did not resolve the root cause of prostition i.e. eliminating poverty and the degradation of women in society and would drive punters and hence prostitutes underground.
Motion 29: Buying Sex is not a Sport - Carried with amendment.
Motion 30: Trafficking and the 2012 Olympics - Withdrawn
Motion 31: Sexual Exploitation of Women in the media - Carried. Did not vote on this one as again this does not deal with the causes of the exploitation and we did not believe censorship is the answer. A number of East Midlands delegates also abstained or voted against this motion.
Motion 32: Investment in Hardcore Pornography - Carried.
Emergency Motion 2: Haiti (preventing the use of women for trafficking and slave labour) - Carried
Motion 33: Palestine - Carried.
Motion 34: Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 - Carried.
Motion 35: A Global Women's Trade Union Network - Carried.
Motion 36: Aung San Suu Kyi - The elected but imprisoned leader of Burma - Carried with amendment.
Motion 37: Women and International Links - Carried.
Motion 38: Timing of National Women's Conference - Opposed.
Motion 39: Standing Order 8 Voting - Carried.
A full list of all the motions (as well as links to the details of all the motions) and the subsequent decisions on those motions is available HERE.
Sharon Vasselin
Co Branch Chair/Equalities Officer
UNISON NUH Branch
A full list of all the motions (as well as links to the details of the motions) and the subsequent decisions on those motions is available HERE.
THURSDAY 18th FEBRUARY 2010
Conference opened with a speech from Gerry Gallagher, NEC Chair.Gerry who is from a police background talked about the inroads made in women getting a voice in the union and the improvement in dealing with Domestic Violence. However, he stated that there was still a long way to go in gaining equality for women. He noted that in a recession women were hardest hit and there was an increase in Domestic Abuse. Gerry stated to Conference that for his year in office he would be concentrating on campaigning against Domestic Abuse. He felt that reps and branches should have more knowledge of Domestic Abuse and be better equipped to deal with members who have suffered as a result. Gerry mentioned that in the 70s Domestic Abuse was just termed a "Domestic" when the police were called out and women were left in dangerous situations which often led to untimely deaths. Gerry stated that this had improved but that there was alot more that could be done. He mentioned the Strathclyde Police Website where sufferers could contact one of many advisors and there were police that were specifically trained in dealing with such situations. Gerry ended his speech on stating that campaigning should step up around protecting public services and that more jobs should be created not cuts. He noted however that the alternative to labour would be worse in the upcoming General Election.
Standing Orders Committee 1 was approved with no questions.
ANNUAL REPORT
The annual report included the proposal to extend equality reps across the country and noted that training would be available. It noted that the progress on the Equality Bill was slow and disappointing but the training would be adapted to take on board the new legislation.Noted that UNISON had been lobbying and negotiating in regards to the ISA and there was updated information on the website.
Women's Health and Violence Against Women campaigns were ongoing and the Committee was continuing to support these.
Noted that there was a regional round up section where each area had a chance to show what work they were doing.
No questions were raised and the report was support. Access to a copy is available from either myself or Sharon Grice if anyone wants to look at it.
Motion 1: Job Share Consequences - Carried with amendments.
Emergency Motion 1: No More BPA (a drug in baby's bottles linked to breast cancer and other chronic conditions already banned in Canada and the USA) - Carried.
Motion 2: Continuing to Campaign for a Breast Cancer Free Future - Carried
Fringe Meeting
Attended meeting on The Single Equality Bill. Noted that the Bill was still grey in that it used words such as "consider" and "due regard". It was also noted that if a new government came in before it got to parliament it could be thrown out. Discussion around the use of the Equality Impact Assessment and whether it was just a tick box exercise.
FRIDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2010
Standing Orders Committee 2 was approved with no questions.
Motion 4: Black Women and Breast Cancer - Carried with amendment
Motion 5: A Million Voices - Why Women Must be Vocal - Carried
Motion 6: Why Women Should Vote - Fell as West Midlands Region who put the motion were not present at Conference.
Motion 7: Equality Impact Assessments - Carried Noted this motion was vital in promoting equality in the workplace and could be a valuable tool in changing policy as there was a legal requirement to ensure there was no adverse impact on groups of people. It was agreed that it was vital all reps were trained and had good knowledge of this process to ensure that the employer did not use it as a tick box exercise.
Emergency Motion 3 - Campaign Against Cuts (using the Equality Impact Assessment within defending public services campaigning) - Carried
Motion 8: The Personalisation Agenda - Carried with amendments
Noted this was to give disabled and/or elderly women their own allowance to pay for carers. Noted this was a minefield for employment rights for such assistants and also another form of cuts for local authorities.
SPEECH FROM DAVID PRENTIS: UNISON GENERAL SECRETARY
David noted that these were hard times where many have been made redundant and people were struggling to make payments and poverty was increasing. He noted that 42% of young black children were unemployed which was disgraceful. He noted only the union was fighting. He noted that money should not be paid to the bankers who caused the problems. He said that if taking money from them made them leave the country then UNISON would open the door for them. He said that if the union had to take industrial action then it would do this. He noted that the union would stand in unity and solidarity to fight back and a million of it's members were women. He noted that the union would use the new equality agenda to put spanners in the works. He noted that women were slowly getting equal pay and if it took years and millions of pounds the union would fight until every woman had equal pay. He noted that TV advertisements and newspaper ads were to go ahead for the Million Voices Campaign. He noted that the bankers should have a pay freeze and that Gordon Brown should not be giving them bonuses. He noted that it would take a cleaner 227 years to earn the 1 year's pay given to the Royal Bank of Scotland's Chief Executive. David called on the government to ban the EDL who were the same as the BNP. David then signed a memorandum agreement of understanding for continuing/adult education and widening participation in adult learning. Noted that 65% of Union Learning reps were women. He said that he would support Composite A at National Conference and when lobbying the Government. Motion 9 - Up Close and Personal - What it Means for Women (changes to social care) - Carried. Motion 10 - Recognising the Value of Schools Staff - Carried Motion 11 - Mary Seacole - Turn her into Stone - Carried with amendment 2 (amendment 1 withdrawn) Mary Seacole was a black female pioneer who nursed soldiers in the Crimean War and should be recognised alongside Florence Nightingale. It was recommended that branches donate towards the statue. Suggestion to Branch - Can we donate to this? Motion 12 - The Women Chainmaker's Festival - Fell as put forward by West Midlands Region who did not attend Conference. Note to branch it is the 100th anniversary this year of a 10 week strike by women in opposition to the Trade Chain Board not implementing their agreed minimum wage. TUC normally have tickets for this event if people are interested?Motion 13: Lower the Age and Frequency of Smear Tests - Carried
SPEECH FROM CERI GODDARD,THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE THE FAWCETT SOCIETY
Ceri talked about the "What about Women?" campaign on website address www.fawcettsociety.org.uk where a number of organisations have come together and thousands of individual voters to ask the political parties what they were going to do for women. Ceri noted that there were less women in our government than the one in Iraq at present.Motion 14: The Seven Year Gap (there are currently no smear tests between 18 and 25 years of age) - Carried
Motion 15: Free sanitary products for women on low pay, the minimum wage, or in benefit of receipts of benefits (amendment for all women to receive free sanitary products) - Carried with amendment.
Motion 16: Surrogacy - The rights of the intended mother - Carried
Motion 17: Returning to work after Maternity Leave - Carried
Motion 18: Women and Pensions - Carried
Motion 19: Women and Cycling - Carried with amendeent Noted both our delegation and many of the East Midlands delegation could not believe this was on the agenda above issues such as Rape convictions and Domestic Violence. We also believed that it would be more practical to have a motion on improving public transport which would help women of all ages particularly those low paid i.e. those with children/in remote areas.
Motion 20: Women and the Far Right - Carried
Motion 21: Women United Against Facism - Carried
HUSTINGS
Hustings took place regarding 2 representatives from the Conference to present the motions on National Women's Conference behalf. I choseBev Miller: National Women's Committee member. Bev has been around sometime and is a very confident and engaging speaker.
Sabina Miller: Sabrina had managed to get a all girl muslim team to the Olympics which is impressive in this current environment!
Put in my vote for the 2 most important motions;
Women and Pensions (Pensions are being cut across the public sector particularly for women when they use service history to calculate the final lump sum which discriminates against women who take breaks for children and carer's leave. Both Sharon and I felt it was crucial to fight this at a National level)
Women United Against Fascism - With the EDL and the rise of Islamaphobia this is on the rise. Facists are misogynists and women need to fight to ensure their rights are not stripped away from them.
SATURDAY 20th FEBRUARY 2010
Standing Orders Committee 3 was approved with no questions.Noted that Bev Miller and Eileen Best would be speaking at National Conference.
Motion 22: Domestic Abuse Training - Carried with 2 amendments.
Motion 23: Domestic Abuse - Carried with amendment
Motion 24: Regional rape conviction rates - It's a postcode lottery - Carried with amendment.
Motion 25: Rape crisis mainstream funding provision - Carried.
Motion 26: Isolation of Women - Carried.
Composite A: Demand Change - Carried.
This was asking the Government to decriminalise prostitution but criminalise those who pay for sex along the "Nordic Model" lines. Both Sharon and I voted against this and some of the East Midlands delegation abstained. We felt that this did not resolve the root cause of prostition i.e. eliminating poverty and the degradation of women in society and would drive punters and hence prostitutes underground.
SPEECH FROM VERA BAIRD QC MP
Vera spoke about the use of the new Equalities Bill and reducing the social economic disadvantages in society.Motion 29: Buying Sex is not a Sport - Carried with amendment.
Motion 30: Trafficking and the 2012 Olympics - Withdrawn
Motion 31: Sexual Exploitation of Women in the media - Carried. Did not vote on this one as again this does not deal with the causes of the exploitation and we did not believe censorship is the answer. A number of East Midlands delegates also abstained or voted against this motion.
Motion 32: Investment in Hardcore Pornography - Carried.
Emergency Motion 2: Haiti (preventing the use of women for trafficking and slave labour) - Carried
Motion 33: Palestine - Carried.
Motion 34: Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 - Carried.
Motion 35: A Global Women's Trade Union Network - Carried.
Motion 36: Aung San Suu Kyi - The elected but imprisoned leader of Burma - Carried with amendment.
Motion 37: Women and International Links - Carried.
Motion 38: Timing of National Women's Conference - Opposed.
Motion 39: Standing Order 8 Voting - Carried.
A full list of all the motions (as well as links to the details of all the motions) and the subsequent decisions on those motions is available HERE.
Sharon Vasselin
Co Branch Chair/Equalities Officer
UNISON NUH Branch
