- Conference
- 2003 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 13 February 2003
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference deplores the continuing violation of international laws by the UK Government and regrets the fact that the UK framework of trade union rights was once again condemned by the International Labour Organisation in June 2002 and by the European Court of Human Rights in July 2002.
UNISON believes that without an effective voice through independent trade unions at the workplace, workers will continue to express their dissatisfaction at work by pursuing individual complaints through Employment Tribunal claims.
In an effort to avoid this decline into conflictual industrial relations, Conference urges UNISON to call on the Government to incorporate accepted international obligations into an Act of Parliament. Once incorporated, the Government should conduct a full audit of UK law to ensure that we comply with those basic human rights treaties, which protect freedom of association and promote rights to negotiate through collective bargaining.
To this end, UNISON welcomes the Charter of Workers’ Rights as developed by the Institute of Employment Rights for the emphasis it places on the importance of international standards. Until the major economies of the world accept their obligation to regulate workplace practices to internationally agreed standards, the free market economy will continue to both undermine both social justice and economic stability.