Policy and campaigns
We face a huge shortage of affordable homes. Investing in housebuilding makes social and economic sense. But the public sector needs to take the lead.Building new homes creates jobs in the construction industry and demand for building materials. Local building workers will spend their wages in the local economy.
But the private sector has an interest in rationing supply in order to keep prices high and the coalition government has adopted a series of policies that many thing will result in fewer homes being built.
UNISON's policy is to support a stronger response from the public sector to address the housing crisis. This would include new council homes, secure funding for housing associations, and stability for tenants and people working in the housing and construction sectors.
A housing crisis:
"Housing is the building block of the public services. If you get this right then health, education and social services fall into place. It's too important to leave housing to the market. We need to expand the role of council housing and housing association homes to meet the housing needs of ordinary people - of families, of the young and the old." - UNISON housing support worker
"As housebuilding dries up and thousands of construction workers face the dole queue, building the homes this country needs can not only help the thousands of people living in poor housing, it can also give a real and much needed financial injection to the economy." - Shelter
What needs to change
In 2008 Governments across the UK announced plans to link efforts to increase the number of new homes with the drive to create jobs. Unfortunately the coalition government has not made new housing a priority.It has abandoned targets to increase the number of new homes and is instead focusing on stigmatising social housing tenants and cutting back on housing benefit (see enclosed brief).
Our policy is to oppose the coalition's approach. UNISON's alternative agenda is for a joined-up public sector response to the housing crisis:
If you work in housing, join UNISON. If you are already in UNISON, join our network by emailing housingnews@unison.co.uk
Public sector pension talks jeopardised by naive playground tactics
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, today rounded on Government ministers for putting public sector pension talks in "jeopardy" by their "naive tactics" and apparent lack of negotiating skills. And called on them to abandon the playground games and get serious.Industrial action by sister unions on 30 June
The PCS, NUT, UCU and ATL will be taking industrial action on 30 June over pensions and other issues.Government will use Hutton report to raid public sector pensions
UNISON chief, Dave Prentis, is warning that the Government will use today's Hutton report as a Trojan horse to raid the pensions of millions of public sector workers. The union is sending out a message to its 1.4m members warning that industrial action is now one step closer.Hutton pensions report brings industrial action closer
UNISON, the UK's largest union today warned that the Hutton report will bring the threat of industrial action closer, as the union's members reel from pay freezes and job cuts.The Today Programme - Dave Prentis on the Hutton Report
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, warns, on BBC Radio 4, Today, that the Government "is coming for public sector pensions".< Back | More >
