- Conference
- 2004 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 1 March 2004
- Decision
- Carried
Conference welcomes the recent consultation exercise conducted by the National Executive Council on policy development, bargaining and devolution. In doing so, it also reaffirms the policy established by Composite L carried at the 2003 National Delegate Conference which agreed that UNISON’s continuing commitment to regional democracy relied on the government precluding the abolition of county councils and district councils and subsequent changes to imposed unitary authorities.
Conference recognises that there is a need for ongoing discussion within the union so long as devolution remains a live issue, and that regions have a central role to play in ensuring UNISON is responsive to the changing circumstances that it creates. Conference, therefore, confirms that all regions should be fully involved in the decision-making process concerning any restructuring or new ways of working which may emerge in response to devolution, irrespective of the pace of change taking place at local level.
Conference also recognises with some alarm that public services are already being directly affected by a range of organisations with devolved powers and responsibilities, many of which are not publicly accountable at local level, for example regional development agencies, regional government offices, strategic health authorities, learning and skills councils, and so on. Conference agrees there is an urgent need to address this by:
1)requiring regions to establish closer working with any devolved political administrations or unelected decentralised bodies which hold powers to impact on or influence public service delivery;
2)developing structures to support those UNISON representatives working with or sitting on such bodies and hold them to account;
3)developing a programme of education and information exchange amongst branches and activists to raise awareness;
4)campaigning to make such bodies publicly and democratically accountable;
5)promoting review of branch organisation in light of changing service delivery.
Further, Conference agrees that as political devolution progresses it is even more urgent that UNISON addresses devolution of our own internal operation to ensure that decision-making and service delivery take place as close to the members as possible.
UNISON must build upon the achievements of Replacement Membership System, recruitment, and support for branches to take devolution into areas such as financial management, service group activity, use of new technologies and managing income. In doing so it is essential that the national centre and regions work together to break down barriers and establish defined roles and responsibilities which provide effective support to branches, activists and members, whilst ensuring that the integrity, authority and unity of the union is maintained and upheld.