UNISON Labour Link magazine Summer 2010
Labour Leadership campaign special. National Committee backs Ed Miliband. Articles from Diane Abbott; Ed Balls; Andy Burnham; David Miliband; Ed Miliband. Labour Party membership form.
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UNISON Labour Link News August 2010
Labour Leadership special - reports from UNISON Labour Link hustings event at National Political Forum in Leeds. Diane Abbot, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, David Miliband and Ed Miliband. Forum slams Neath Port Talbot dismissals. Campaign against Academies continues. Dave Prentis speech to Forum.
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Labour Link news July 2010
Includes: Union slams Con-Dem academy plans; tales from the campaign trail; UNISON officer takes Nottingham South; UNISON members have key role in Labour leadership contest.
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Labour Link News listing >

What has Labour Link won for members, and what happens when UNISON disagrees with Labour?

As a result of UNISON Labour Link activities, Labour has implemented many positive areas of policy:

• The government established the Low Pay Commission as a permanent body, giving it a key role in tackling poverty pay and opening the way for significant improvements to the national minimum wage.



• Staff working in privately funded projects in the public sector now have specific protections on pay and conditions. In most cases, staff will no longer be transferred as part of new public finance initiative deals in the NHS.



• Workplace union learning reps have been placed on a legal footing and measures have been taken to ensure employers take responsibility for providing skills and learning for all employees. Plus, more than £5million has been earmarked for union learning projects.



• Ministers now accept that they must act to prevent the growth of a two-tier workforce. Too often, contracts have been awarded solely on companies offering the lowest price rather than a better service, which has resulted in worse conditions and pensions provision for staff. Whilst existing staff have been entitled to some protection, new staff are often employed on worse conditions, so a two-tier workforce emerges.



• Stronger equality legislation has been brought in, the Race Relations Act has been strengthened, part-time workers have been given equal rights, and new employment legislation has been introduced to offer protection on the grounds of sexual orientation, age, disability and religion.



• The government is now reconsidering funding for higher education, so that students do not fall into massive debt through the student loan system.



• Major improvements have been made to maternity leave and pay, and paid paternity leave has been introduced.

What happens when UNISON disagrees with Labour?
From time to time, there will be major issues where we think the government has got it wrong. The public finance initiative (PFI) is a key example.

When we don't support government policy we argue UNISON's case in the Labour party at every level. Local UNISON members raise the issues in the local constituency and lobby MPs. We argue our case at regional and national forums and at conferences, winning the support of party members.

MPs are given the facts with which to take forward our policies in committees, in debates and in lobbying ministers. This also helps UNISON push for advances that protect our members in the short term, for example, by negotiating PFI contracts while continuing to argue against private funding for public services.