Policy
outline (I - Z) Policy
outline (I - Z)
Latest UNISONNews | Index | Return to HomePage | Hot News | Policy Finder
INQUIRIES
Allegations of Child Abuse (AGM 1998)
This branch notes with dismay the continuing allegations of abuse in Edinburgh childrens homes and allegations that abuse has been ‘covered up’. It deplores the betrayal of trust and the misuse of power inherent in such abuse and expresses its deep sympathy for victims who should have a right to be safe in local authority care.
UNISON members who work with children will be horrified by these events. The overwhelming majority of residential staff are selflessly committed to providing sensitive and professional care, often under very trying circumstances. They too will suffer from the public image created by these events.
The awareness of abuse is much greater today and more effective procedures now exist for dealing with concerns. However, the fact that abuse can and does occur, highlights the need for:
1. A properly resourced residential care service with appropriately trained and qualified staff
2. Accountable management structures with professional support and supervision systems
3. Efficient but fair procedures which allow the concerns of children, young people and staff to be taken seriously, while protecting the right to natural justice
4. Trade union support and advice for staff who have justified reason to believe abuse is occurring or has occurred and are facing obstacles in securing proper investigation.
(From additional emergency motion AGM 1998)
"We believe the Social Work Department has a duty to protect as well as investigate staff involved in these allegations. We call upon UNISON to do all in its power to support our members and to bring to the attention of senior managers the real fears and concerns that members of staff are experiencing, in terms of allegations which may be made about events in the past, which remain on a persons record whether proved or not.
There are likely to be further allegations in this context and staff need to feel they have the support of this union and their employers, at least until it is proved anything improper has happened."
INTERNATIONAL
We are opposed to imperialism and to the undermining of states which are trying to build fair and accountable economic systems and equality for their people. This does not preclude criticism where we believe equality to be compromised. As a general rule, we believe our support should be defined by those in struggle. We support and should give practical help in the fight for trade union rights internationally.Specifically we oppose the blockade of Cuba.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL UK
(AGM 2000) This Branch supports the objectives of Plan International UK who co-ordinate the direct sponsorship of children in under-developed countries. Sponsorship costs £144 per annum and would provide a child with access to educational support or would be directed towards their Health Care.We agree to enter into a sponsorship agreement and remit the specifics to the Policy and Finance Committee for processing.
IRELAND
We support the peace process and urge all parties to continue talks and desist from violence. A lasting settlement will only be achieved through negotiation and a permanent settlement is most likely through a united Ireland by negotiation. We do not support a 'Troops Out Now' position.
JOB SHARING/ PART TIME WORKERS
We believe that everyone has the right to job share and that this should be automatic, with the onus on the employer to demonstrate extenuating circumstances. We believe that Job Sharers and Part Time workers should have full time rights.
JOB EVALUATION
(AGM 1998) We call upon Branch Officers to enter into an open dialogue with management on the possible future involvement of the Branch in a Job Evaluation Scheme. No firm decision should be taken until such times as a detailed report has been tabled to the Branch Committee and Stewards have had the opportunity to discuss the details of any such report with their members.
LIVERPOOL DOCKERS
This Branch Meeting applauds the political campaigning and fund-raising work carried out by the Women on the Waterfront, in support of their sacked partners and families.
This Branch meeting also agrees to write to Tony Blair, prime Minister, to ask that he do everything within his power to bring about the re-instatement of the sacked Liverpool Dockers.
As the Government is the largest shareholder in the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, which sacked the Dockers in September 1995, we believe his intervention could be crucial.
The Liverpool Dockers were sacked for refusing to cross a picket line - a basic principal for the trade union movement.
This meeting also agrees to send a further message of support both to the Women on the Waterfront and to the Liverpool Dockers on their struggle and to take a collection at the end of the meeting.
MEMBERS SERVICES
(AGM 1999) This Branch notes members' benefits have been frozen at those levels applicable at time of merger.
We consider these benefits to be of great assistance to many members and a positive attraction in terms of recruitment.
We call upon the NEC to bring to the 2000 Annual Conference proposals which would ensure there is a direct link between the monetary value of those benefits and any increases in subscription levels.
MINIMUM WAGE
We support a national minimum wage of half male median earnings.
NEW PRIVATISATION
(AGM 1998) This branch deplores the ‘pontius pilate’ approach of the City of Edinburgh Council in privatising catering services in sports and leisure centres.
Despite an exemption for catering contracts, this privatisation went ahead under the control of the ‘arms length’ Recreation Trust established by the council.
We note that cheapness, rather than quality, was the prime factor in this contract. We believe this to be the start of a process whereby the council can sidestep its responsibility to the staff that provide its services,and to the users of those services.
We consider the creation of these trusts to be blatant privatisation of council services and call upon the union at all levels, including the APF, to campaign:
- against all forms of privatisation and outsourcing
- and for efficient high quality services for Edinburgh.
NHS
We believe in a national health service, with national pay bargaining. We believe it should be free at the point of need. We oppose private medicine in the NHS.FUNDING CRISIS IN NHS
(AGM 2000) This Branch notes:1. That the problems in the Health Service over the last two months are not due to a flu crisis but are a product of a much deeper crisis of the National Health Service.
2. It is a scandal that France has double the number of hospital beds in Britain, meaning delays in admissions for many. A situation in which cancer patients can have their operations cancelled up to 4 times, leading to position where those cancers can become inoperable.
3. Tony Blair was elected on the promise of increased funding for the NHS. Yet, the truth is that today Britain spends less on health care than Portugal, Spain and Greece.
4. That 17% of hospital beds were axed between 1980 and 1987 and that there is a serious shortage of nurses.
This Branch agrees:
1. With the Labour peer and top surgeon, Lord Winston, that NHS funding must be immediately increased and this may necessitate raising taxes. We believe this would best be done through a progressive system to taxation.
2. That UNISON should launch a more vigorous campaign highlighting Labour's failure to break from Tory policies on the NHS such as PFI. Our Branch should campaign for this within UNISON.
PARTNERSHIP (Click here for branch submission)
(BM 10/11/97) This branch believes:
1. that cuts in jobs and standards of service, outsourcing, the use of consultants and privatisation will lead to the destruction of services.
2. that radical alternatives are needed to modernise local government, break down internal barriers, and move away from ad hoc solutions.
3. that workers want to deliver efficient quality services but are often thwarted not only by cuts but by a lack of direction and inflexible systems.
4. that the best people to involve in developing services are the people who actually deliver them, yet this valuable resource is largely ignored. It would be far better to consult the people actually doing the job, than wastefully using consultants or reorganising from the top down.
5. that the council has only been able to maintain services due to the commitment of the vast majority of staff, but that they currently feel undervalued and morale is at an all time low.
This branch therefore resolves
a. to promote a partnership between councillors, officials, trade union, workers, the voluntary sector and service users to seek radical solutions to protect and develop accountable and directly provided local services.
b. to develop and consult upon detailed plans for this.
c. to propose ‘Partnership Groups’ at council, departmental and sectional level to consult and directly involve workers in planning and developing services and better ways of delivering them.
d. to call for a training and development plan, responsive to the views of workers, which will allow workers to develop updated skills, new skills and transferable skills.
This branch recognises that such initiatives cannot be successful unless they are geared towards saving jobs and services. It also recognises that any such exercise would have to be based on trust and a belief that it will be approached constructively. Fundamental to this would be guarantees on protection and on no compulsory redundancies.
PAY
This branch believes that a flat rate claim benefits the lowest paid most. Pay claims should be clear and easily campaignable on.Defending Manual Workers Conditions
(AGM 1998) This meeting recognises a major impact of the 1997 budget cuts was on manual workers with many posts lost through early retirement and reviews within DSOs.
We view with concern indications that to achieve spending limits in the current budget crisis, management are targeting conditions such as manual worker bonus schemes and overtime rates as areas for achieving savings.
The consequences of this will greatly affect the earnings of many of our lowest paid members. Branch officers are instructed to take whatever necessary measures to protect current earning levels.
PENSIONS
We believe in an adequate state pension as of right, which is linked to earnings.
For equality in Local Government scheme for gender and sexuality.
PFI
We are opposed to Private Finance Initiative and believe it to be privatisation that involves more expensive 'public' borrowing.(See also Schools Private Finance Illusion)
PRIVATISATION OF SERVICES - PPP / PFI
(AGM 2000) We view with concern Council's stated intention to include ancillary services including elements of cleaning, catering and janitorial services within the terms of any PPP or PFI contract.This intent is contradictory to the assurances provided by Labour Party spokespersons to UNISON's National Affiliated Political Forum. In particular we support the consideration that the " risk factor " required to validate a PFI or PPP " need only be attached to the capital project and not to the services provided therein.
The use of PFI/PPP will over the next few years increase the financial drain on local authorities as they pay increased charges for capital, rent and maintenance. The long term effect of this continuation of the Tory policy will be to further tighten local authority budgets.
We call upon UNISON at all levels in Scotland to intensify the campaign of opposition to the principles of PFI / PPP and, as an interim measure pending the final removal of the imposition of PFIs / PPPs as the only means to fund major capital projects, seek the required agreements that our members' jobs should not be privatised as a result of the Council entering into a PFI or PPP.
PUBLIC SERVICES
A FAIR DEAL FOR PUBLIC SERVICES
(AGM 2000)This meeting notes that:
• The current Best Value regime and the City of Edinburgh Council's procedures have in-built biases towards tendering and 'externalisation'.
• That the imposition of Public Private Partnerships and private Finance Initiative is entirely unnecessary but creates additional costs on the public sector as well as privatisation of jobs and assets.
• That the funding of most local government services has not benefited from the Comprehensive Spending Review, and that constant downward pressure on budgets is exerted by the failure to fund wage settlements in full.
• That the proportion of the GNP committed to the public sector is the lowest of all governments since the mid 1960's.
• That the government uses a measure of public borrowing (the PSBR) which artificially restricts the capacity of public organisations to borrow (the PSBR) which artificially restricts the capacity of public organisations to borrow for capital investment and is used nowhere else in Europe.
• That the government's economic and taxation policies are failing to deliver sufficient resources to fund the services which the public want, need and voted for.
• That budget limitations threaten the high hopes of the Scottish Parliament.
For these reasons we believe that the public sector is not getting a fair deal and that the danger of privatisation and 'externalisation' is increasing. Within the framework of 'Serving Scotland', UNISON should campaign publicly on the theme of a 'fair deal for public services' in the period leading up to the next UK elections, and seek the co-operation of other unions, the STUC and the TUC. For these purposes we:1. Request that UNISON prepares campaigning material about:
• The under funding of public services and the consequences of 'externalisation'.
• How proper funding of other public services and the welfare state in Scotland can be achieved - simultaneously addressing social exclusion and unemployment.
• The practical alternatives to austerity in the public services, increased means-testing and erosion of the welfare state.
2. Call on the government to:
(I) Give the public sector freedom to borrow for capital investment.
(ii) Abolish PFI/PPP and;
(iii) Generate adequate levels of public resources by redistributive taxation which will reverse the massive increase in the share of national income going to corporate dividends and the wealthy seen under Conservative governments.
3. Call on Labour Councillors, MSP's MP's and MEP's to support our call for a fair deal for the public sector, to express their commitment to retaining public services in-house and reducing out-sourcing and their opposition to the unreasonable restrictions on public enterprise and public sector funding; and to press for a new Best Value regime which favours quality and publicly-run services.
(AGM1999) Serving Scotland Campaign
This Branch welcomes the UNISON Scotland "Serving Scotland" campaign for public services in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections.
We recognise this is a positive campaign raising the issues which concern UNISON members and the general public. It is a campaign without fear of or favour from any party political self interest, seeking a parliament that is positive about Scotland's public services.
It notes the campaign themes are
- Our services must be responsive to the needs and wishes of the Scottish people - giving them a say in their services.
- Our services must be the best that can be delivered - choosing quality
- Our services must be provided by a public services team, a workforce trained and qualified, treated fairly and equally, with the resources to deliver - choosing teamwork.
The campaign will call for services that are
- Publicly owned and run, rather than owned and run by private consortia set up under Private Finances Initiatives
- Democratically controlled rather than hived off to quangos and other non-democratic bodies
- Properly resourced to ensure a proper quality of service rather than the "cheapest is best" philosophy of Best Value.
This Branch resolves to:-
1. Give its full backing to the campaign
2. Participate in joint branch initiatives across services in the Lothians
3. Organise briefings for Shop Stewards Committees
4. To seek out practical examples to campaign on locally
5. To secure the widest participation by forging links with community groups on areas of common interest.
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
We believe in the principle of public ownership and that all privatised industries should be re-nationalised. However we also recognise that it may not be practical to bring all privatised industries back into traditional public ownership.
AGM 2000
EXPOSING THE EFFECTS OF CUTS AND PRIVATISATION
This Branch believes that the potential £12million cuts in Edinburgh this year are likely to be followed by similar cuts over the next three years. These come on top of massive cuts before, during and since reorganisation.
Local Government cannot continue to provide quality services, accountable to the people of Edinburgh, in these circumstances.
We welcome Cosla's call for stability of funding for local government and we call on the Council to join with us in lobbying the Scottish Parliament to deliver this.
Attempts to privatise jobs and services are unacceptable. We back UNISON's Serving Scotland
Campaign which calls for public service to be:• Publicly owned and run
• Democratically controlled
• Properly resourced.We accept that dialogue with the council is essential to minimise the threats to jobs and services arising from Best Value and PFI/PPP's but that dialogue must be effective and on a partnership basis.
This AGM instructs branch officers to:
Co-ordinate a year-long campaign with members, the public, community and user groups and the media to break the silence about the effects of cuts and ensure the full impact on services is known to the people of Edinburgh. The campaign must draw attention to:-
1. The continual undermining and undervaluing of the valuable role of local government and voluntary sector staff. No recognition is given to the efforts staff have made to maintain services through years of cuts.
2. Excessive workload pressures on staff in central departments and stresses caused by continual restructuring and reorganisations.
3. A crisis in many areas of Social Work leading to higher expectations with less resources. Morale is affected by lack of resources for preventative work and the concentration of high risk crisis work.
4. Increasing pressure on Residential staff, more incidents of violence and a failure to upgrade the status and remuneration of this neglected staff group.
5. Undermining of national conditions in 'outsourced' and privatised services, especially affecting manual and lower paid workers.
6. Continual funding crises for voluntary sector organisations and the growing effect on pay and conditions.
In addition, this Branch resolves:
(a) To restate its absolute opposition to compulsory redundancies and to maintain its resolve to fight these with industrial action if necessary.
(b) To build community links to challenge withdrawals of services through campaigns, lobbying and legal action. To consider industrial action if competent and necessary to expose jobs and service cuts.
(c) To demand that the council reinstate all annual inflationary elements within all grants and contracts to the voluntary sector, including cost of living awards.
REDUNDANCIES
-(AGM 1998) This Branch recognises the successful union campaign in Edinburgh which ensured no compulsory redundancies took place as a result of the Council’s budget crisis in 1997.
The tactics of maintaining dialogue with officials allied to a high profile media campaign and an intensive membership communications strategy ensured a steady flow of information. This lent itself to creating workplace unity and ensured the Council had to take all possible measures to avoid a compulsory redundancy situation.
This branch recognises that campaigning against cuts has to continue to follow this strategy alongside preparing for industrial action. The strategy should be based on existing policies and involve:-
This AGM therefore instructs branch officers to:-
Call an immediate stewards meeting to brief them on the updated cuts situation and to consider tactics.
Call an immediate branch meeting if and when compulsory redundancies are announced
Seek an urgent meeting with senior UNISON officials to prepare arrangements and tactics for industrial action against compulsory redundancies.
(AGM 1999)
This Branch records its concern that the 1999/2000 Council Budget will bring about more attacks on jobs and services.
Since Local Government Reorganisation over 2,000 jobs have been lost in the Council along with many in the voluntary sector. Each lost job has an adverse impact on services and a subsequent loss of provision to the most vulnerable and needy in society.It is clear the forthcoming Council Budget carries the real threat of Compulsory Redundancies within the Council and an increase in redundancies in the Voluntary Sector caused directly through funding problems.
We support the Branch commitment to industrial action in the event of any member being made Compulsory Redundant and instruct Branch Officers to
- Call upon the Council to set a budget which protects jobs and services
- Join with appropriate community based organisations to campaign against cuts
- Ensure the issue of cutbacks becomes a focus in the May Local Government Elections
Further, the APF should work within the City of Edinburgh Labour Party for a Budget based on Service Provision and not on setting the lowest possible Council tax level.
REGIONAL ORGANISATION
We believe that regional organisation in UNISON should be a key element of the union and we should play the fullest part possible at Scottish level. We are in favour of more delegation to regions.We believe that motions/amendments to national conferences should be put to Scottish Council/Service Group Conference first. We also believe that branches should have the right to put motions directly to Conference but that motions put through regions should have priority.
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
We support a Scottish Parliament in terms of the objectives of the 'Claim of Right' as adopted by the Constitutional Convention and reflected in the white paper. We do not support any dilution of local authority functions. We support subsidiarity, ie that decisions should be taken at the most feasible local level.(added) We support 50,50 womens representation in the Parliament.
See also Serving Scotland Campaign
TRANSFER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This Branch views with concern the growing number of instances where Scottish Executive consultation papers indicate a desire to give a greater involvement to non Local Government agencies in the provision of local services.The latest example of such rationale is the consultation paper on the creation of :
- a Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care to regulate Care Services and
- a Scottish Social Services Council to regulate the Social Services workforce
We recognise the Scottish Local Government Sector Committee has consistently opposed this
transferring of duties as individual consultation processes are initiated but consider we require to develop a more tangible campaign to address the self-evident desire of the Scottish Executive to remove powers and responsibilities from Local Government.Such a campaign should build upon the principles of the Serving Scotland campaign, involving a programme of activities which would facilitate the participation of UNISON members throughout Scotland.
SUPERANNUATION
Local Government Superannuation Scheme
(AGM 1999) Given the experience of Private Pension Schemes, which were endorsed by the Thatcher Government and are now having to make compensation payments due to their poor performance in comparison to Local Government Superannuation Schemes, this Branch views with concern the latest Government proposal regarding new stakeholder pension schemes.
We call on this union at all levels to mount a campaign highlighting the benefits of membership of the Local Government Superannuation Schemes. Such a campaign should have the twin objectives of retaining those currently in membership and actively seeking recruitment from employees who are non-members of the Scheme.
Superannuation Schemes
(AGM 1999) Conference welcomes the work done nationally by UNISON on pensions to date, however this AGM notes with concern the comments of Baroness Blackstone, a Labour peer in the House of Lords, in opposing the Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill for the Government, where she cited the increased costs of extending contributory superannuation schemes as "placing an unacceptable high price on other contributors."
Superannuation forms part of staff service conditions and as such should be disbursed equally and without discrimination, whereas currently, single people and couples living together or in a financially interdependent relationship, actually subsides the pensions of married couples.
Conference recognises that developments such as the judgement of the European Court of Justice in the Lisa Grant case, the current review of sex discrimination and equal pay legislation being carried out by the Equal Opportunities Commission and the current negotiations with civil service trade unions on civil service pension schemes, need to be taken into account by UNISON in pursuing the campaign for non-discriminatory pension schemes.
Given an insight into current Governmental political and fiscal leanings by Baroness Blackstone's comments, conference calls upon the National Executive Council to consider the most effective means by which UNION can pursue the campaign, including, subject to legal advice, initiating or supporting a test case through the European Courts for two surviving partners (one heterosexual and one same sex) to push the government into adopting an immediate and positive stance in the equal treatment of contributors to all pension schemes for equal benefit.
TEMPORARY STAFF
Should be permanent after one year and only used for short term cover or specific projects where expertise not available in council.
TIME OFF FOR TRADE UNION DUTIES
Activists should not get distant from their workplace and job.
TRADE UNION EDUCATION
We support the education of activists on practical and general policy issues. We support the involvement of lay officials in the organisation and tuition of courses. There should also be facilities for member education.
TRADE UNION LAW
We oppose the anti-trade union legislation imposed since 1979. We do not rule out breaking the law to defend our members but we do not support this action if there is any other means available. We must ensure we protect members but also that we protect our trade union from bankruptcy.
TRADE UNION STRUCTURES
We believe that all functions of the union should be subject to direct lay control, involvement and accountability, recognising the need to work in partnership with professional full time staff. So far as is possible, the union should provide services 'in house' and we should resist most forms of 'outsourcing'.
COMMUNICATIONS AND REVIEW OF LAY STRUCTURES
(AGM 2000) Conference notes that Conference resolutions have stressed the importance of direct lay control and involvement in an efficient and co-ordinated communications strategy across the union. Conference believes this reflects the success of a communications ethos that has involved members and employees throughout the union and given UNISON a profile which, after only a few years, far exceeds that of other unions and indeed the previous partner unions.It believes that direct and effective lay control over and involvement in communications:-
1. Is a key element in the concept of a member-led union.
2. Is absolutely central to lay control and involvement throughout the union.
Conference therefore instructs the NEC to ensure a national lay structure for Communications that:(a) is accountable to the NEC and the membership via Conference
(b) has Communications policy, strategy and implementation both within the union and with wider society as specific remits;
(c) has the powers and ability to develop communications strategies in partnership with officers;
(d) is inclusive and ensures each part of the union has access to all of the union's resources;
(e) has the ability to build formal and informal links at National, Regional and Branch level to ensure the maximum involvement in the union's campaigns.
Conference also recognises that a corporate communications strategy for members and the public is essential to campaigning in our members interests, is crucial to recruitment and retention and benefits the trade union movement as a whole. It also recognises that UNISON must capitalise on the strength of its size and importance in the trade union movement and in British society.
In accordance with the will of Conference since UNISON's inception, Conference instructs the NEC to ensure that a communications strategy is maintained that delivers:-
1. Strategic planning of communications at a time when a co-ordinated and professional approach is more important than ever,
2. An approach that can combat the formidable corporate communications machines of employers and political parties.
3. Professional services maintained in-house, avoiding outsourcing wherever possible.
4. An integrated service, avoiding the expense and waste of fragmented, compartmentalised and uncoordinated planning and provision.
5. Practical and effective devolution to Regions, while maintaining the central structures and resources necessary for the leadership, professional support, exchange of ideas and clear strategic planning essential to national campaigns and projects.
6. Systems that ensure that all services, sectors and groups in the union have equal access to the whole of the union's campaigning and communication resources, according to need and in line with Conference priorities.
TRUSTS
(AGM 1998) We consider the creation of these trusts to be blatant privatisation of council services and call upon the union at all levels, including the APF, to campaign:- against all forms of privatisation and outsourcing- and for efficient high quality services for Edinburgh.
WELFARE BENEFITS
We support a comprehensive benefits system. It should be simplified, it should meet real need and should avoid means testing. We support reinstatement of benefits for 16-18 year olds and oppose dilution of child benefit.Benefit Cuts
- (AGM 1998) This Branch Meeting condemns the Labour Government’s plans to stick to Conservative plans by cutting welfare benefits. We deplore their decision to cut One Parent Benefit last year and we applaud those Labour MP’s, in particular Malcolm Chisholm, who made a principled stand and voted against this act.
We are appalled by the Government’s decision to cut £2.5million in benefits to people with disabilities over the next 2 years. Industrial Injury Benefit for pensions will be scrapped. Disability Living Allowance will be withdrawn for hospital patients and for 65 year olds. The first £2,500 compensation is to be claimed back from injured people. Lastly, the largest cut will be made by continuing the Tory policy of replacing Invalidity Benefit by Incapacity Benefit.
We believe that people voted massively for Labour in the last General Election to reject policies like these which attack some of the most vulnerable in society. We further believe that UNISON, as a public service union has a role to play in building opposition to these proposals in active partnership with disability rights groups and the voluntary sector.
We therefore resolve to:
- 1. circulate a petition to workplaces which calls on the Government to withdraw any such threats
2. encourage members to write to MP’s urging them to vote against such proposals regardless of Party instructions
3. lobby local Labour MP’s
4. liaise with and support protests by disability rights organisations and in particular a local demonstration to highlight opposition to the proposals. An obvious focus might be the visit of Tony Blair’s “Welfare Roadshow”
5. campaign within UNISON nationally for such an approach
6. refer the issue to the Affiliated Political Fund to raise within the Labour Party at all levels
Benefit Cuts
This branch recognises that many of its members rely on benefits either through low pay, family circumstances or disability. Many more in the wider community sustain a hand to mouth existence on benefit rates that are already insufficient.Contrary to myth, the vast majority of people on benefit would rather have the choice to work and to earn a decent living. However, many people are denied that choice by the lack of jobs, by disability or illness or by the need to care for a dependant.
This branch does not oppose a constructive review of the benefits system,but such a review must not target the most vulnerable to protect the affluent. Any benefits review must have as its baseline:
1. real alternatives and real jobs
2. a serious attempt to mitigate povertyWe therefore resolve to:
A. campaign against benefit changes that do not engender these principles
B. forge links with appropriate campaigns
C. urge the APF to raise the matter within the Labour Party
VIOLENCE TOWARDS WOMEN
We support Zero Tolerance. We believe it to be a trade union issue within and outwith the workplace.WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION IN THE BRANCH
(AGM 2000) Women members make up 64% of the Branch, yet only 43% of women are workplace stewards. Women also only make up 37% of delegation to Branch Committees and only hold 32% of Branch Officer positions.Quite clearly we must do more to encourage women members, including Women from Minority Ethnic Groups, Disabled Women and Lesbian Women to participate within our structures.
We therefore call on the Equalities Officer, working with the self-organised groups to undertake a survey. The survey would be issued to all women members within the Branch with a view to establishing what practical assistance the Branch can offer to encourage and support women members to participate.
Although this in itself would not achieve higher levels of Women's representation, it would be a starting point allowing us a valuable insight as to what issues or barriers currently prevent women members from becoming active.