Equal rights
UNISON makes sure everybody has a voice
in the union. Our 'self-organised groups' include those who are
traditionally under represented, while young and retired members
also come together to work on key issues affecting them.
IMPORTANT NEW LEGISLATION COMES INTO FORCE
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations come into force on 1st October 2006, and they apply to all employers, including trade unions and training providers. Goods and services are not covered by the regulations.
The regulations have been introduced to protect all employees from being discriminated against, or harassed because of their age. This means it is unlawful to discriminate or harass employees on the grounds of their age.
The regulations also affect other rights - here are just two examples:
- unfair dismissal and redundancy rights, by removing the upper age limit.
- the age limit has been removed for statutory payments (maternity, sick, paternity, adoption).
This is just a brief reference to new regulations – for further and more in-depth information here are a few useful websites:
Retired Members
UNISON works to raise awareness of issues which concern older people
and to influence decision makers. Our priorities include:
- Pensioner poverty
- Health care and age discrimination
- Isolation and mobility issues
We believe our union should reflect the society we live and work
in. There are more than 10 million elderly people in the UK. Retired
and working members have a shared interest in obtaining decent incomes
in older age, a universal health service and the creation of a civilised
society.
Today's workers are tomorrow's pensioners and UNISON's members
work in public services on which many older people rely.
Find
out more from our national website.
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Disabled people facing
discrimination at work
Disabled people experience discrimination at work. UNISON challenges
discriminatory actions and campaigns for a fair deal for disabled
members.
UNISON supports the Social Model of Disability. We believe it is
the way society organises that creates barriers to inclusion and
prevents disabled people from taking an equal part in life. As a
union we campaign on important issues such as:
- Inaccessible workplaces
- Information systems that don't include disabled people's
access needs
- Negative attitudes and prejudices from employers
UNISON's priorities on disability are led by the union's own disabled
members. Our union is committed to taking on the issues from those
who know them best.
Find
out more from our national website.
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Black Members
Black members in UNISON:-
- Play a key role in winning equality in the workplace
- Actively challenge racism wherever it is found
- Are at the forefront of UNISON's organising work
- Enjoy UNISON's support at local, regional and national level
As black members in UNISON we work together to win positive change
in the workplace. The more of us that are actively involved the
stronger we become. The stronger we are the more positive change
we can achieve.
Find out more
from our national website.
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Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Members
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are still denied
equality in the workplace - too often we face discrimination and
harassment instead of a fair deal. Joining UNISON gives you a voice
in Britain's biggest union, which is committed to working for LGBT
rights.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members organise locally
and nationally to support each other, to identify and challenge
discrimination, to increase awareness of LGBT rights and to campaign
for change.
Find out more
from our national website.
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Young Members
UNISON boasts 75,000 young members and rising, one of the fastest
increasing young memberships in a UK trade union.
Where young people are part of a workforce represented by a trade
union they get a better deal, including improved pay and career
opportunities, and are less at risk from exploitation, accidents
and injury compared to young workers in non-unionised workplaces.
That's why our priority is to recruit and support more young members.
How young is young?
To participate in UNISON's young members' activities you need
to be 26 years of age or under.
Find out more
from our national website.
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