UNISON Objectives and Priorities 2010

This year, UNISON members face a tough political and economic climate. We aim to make our union stronger so that we can continue to defend our members and promote public services.

We will ensure that we provide value for money from our members' subscriptions during this difficult economic climate by focusing the union's activities on our agreed objectives and priorities.

OBJECTIVE 1

1.1 We will grow stronger as an organising union by:

• working towards a goal of achieving 1.5 million members by July 2013. We will aim to increase the union's influence in private companies, the community and voluntary sector and among migrant workers. We aim to maximise recruitment performance and gain a better understanding of the reasons for non-membership. We will support all branches/regions through the joint assessment process designed to strengthen our organising capacity, and will ensure that they have the resources needed to meet workplace organising targets
• increasing the diversity, number and percentage of trained workplace representatives and will provide development pathways linked to national standards and qualifications. We will investigate the barriers and incentives relating to improving their recruitment performance. We aim to improve access to and distribution of time off facilities and secure improvements to the legal frame work achieving greater member participation and engagement by improving access to union information and resources.

1.2 UNISON will improve representation by:

• Increasing member participation, in particular at branch and workplace level, including achieving increased turnout in national elections and ballots.
• operating an efficient and effective casework management system
• implementing a new and responsive member complaints/feedback procedure.

OBJECTIVE 2

2.1 UNISON will combat low pay, negotiate improved pay and conditions and implement agreed pay and grading packages to:

• deliver fair and equal pay across all sectors and bargaining groups
• secure quality and non-discriminatory pension schemes which are governed in the best interests of members,
• and promote lifelong learning, skills pathways and workforce development.

2.2 The union will provide effective bargaining and support services to members; including expert support in procurement processes aimed at securing employer compliance with statutory guidance to prevent a two-tier workforce; ensuring long term job security and avoiding enforced redundancies

2.3 UNISON will promote equality and challenge discrimination in the workplace, using public sector equalities duties and relevant equality legislation.

OBJECTIVE 3

3.1 UNISON will work to prioritise and promote its Million Voices campaign to stand up for our members, defend their jobs and the services they provide by:

• developing the case for promoting properly funded quality public services
• campaigning against PFI, privatisation and the marketisation of public services, and
• campaigning for more decent and affordable housing.

3.2 UNISON campaigns for rights at work to:

• Eliminate discrimination in the workplace
• Improve working lives and work-life balance
• Extend collective rights in line with ILO conventions, UN convention on social economic and cultural rights, EU chapter and bills of rights and effective application of statutory duties

3.3 We will maximise our political influence by:

• ensuring effective and co-ordinated use of political fund resources
• improving political engagement at local, regional and national level to secure changes to government policies including those of devolved nations
• promoting our key objectives within the European Union and internationally.

3.4 UNISON will challenge discrimination by:

• developing and implementing a robust equality strategy across the union
• promoting respect for asylum-seekers, migrant workers and humane immigration rules, combating the BNP and the far right , and promoting community cohesion

3.5 UNISON will implement a green strategy across the whole union that ensures consistency and rigour by:

• working with environmental organisations that share our aims and values.

OBJECTIVE 4

4.1 We will improve our branch and service group structures by implementing the decisions of the 2009 National Delegate Conference.

4.2 We will improve the management, development and diversity of staff by:

• re-profiling and developing our workforce regionally and nationally to maximise resources on UNISON's organising and campaigning objectives
• maintaining and developing the union's equality-proofed pay and grading system
• retaining Investors in People status and improving work-life balance policies for staff to enhance flexible working while ensuring that services to branches and members are maintained and improved.

4.3 We will improve our IT, organisational and financial systems by:

• developing the membership records system (RMS) as the union's core organisational database and communications channel for the recording, processing and storage of membership and income records; for e-communications with members, activists and staff; and for organising information to support the recruitment and retention of members.
• developing the RMS to improve membership data accuracy; income collection and allocation and branch accessibility and promote online member recruitment.
• improving systems for financial reporting for branches, including continued development of online and interactive services to support branch financial accounting.
• using new and developing technology to further integrate UNISON's Information and Communications Technology(ICT) to improve communications and information management and maximise the use of e-communications throughout the union.

4.4 We will improve our environmental performance and reduce our carbon footprint by:

• implementing our environmental strategy, policy and action plan and meeting targets set in accordance with best practice.
• putting in place