- Conference
- 2003 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 17 February 2003
- Decision
- Carried
Conference recognises the importance of reducing road congestion, environmental pollution and the adverse health impacts that are caused to members and the community from Britain’s over-reliance on private transport.
Conference supports key measures, such as pollution and car reduction targets and local transport planning, at national and local government levels in response to international agreements aimed at tackling global warming and environmental degradation.
However, Conference notes that in response to such measures some public service employers have adopted punitive policies under the cloak of green staff travel, for example generating income from staff by either introducing car parking charges or increasing existing ones.
Conference welcomes and endorses the guidance pack Bargaining for Better Green Staff Travel commissioned by the South West Labour Link Committee to help union negotiators address the issues involved.
Conference agrees to fund distribution of a copy of the pack for each branch in the regions.
Conference further welcomes the agreement by UNISON nationally to set up a web-based forum to facilitate information exchange between branches and to collate new evidence of good practice in relation to green staff travel plans.
Conference urges branches to recognise that employers will increasingly develop proposals that may add to members’ difficulties and expenses when travelling to, from and in the course of their work and to take seriously the issues addressed in the pack.
Conference further urges branches to take the initiative in opening discussions with employers to maximise the positive benefits which green staff travel plans can bring for members, particularly those on lower pay levels.