- Conference
- 2007 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 26 February 2007
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 now provides greater protection in law for all emergency workers. A person guilty of an offence under this Act is liable on summary conviction to a fine. The Act follows the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 which made it a specific offence to assault, obstruct or hinder someone providing an emergency service or assisting an emergency worker in an emergency situation and carries a maximum penalty of nine months in prison, a fine of £25,000 or both. A package of non-legislative measures supports the Scottish Act.
UNISON recognises that other public services workers, such as reception, administrative and clerical staff, are not covered under any current legislation but deserve the same protection across the United Kingdom (UK). Research work carried out by the Scottish Executive as part of the protection of workers campaign highlights the level of abuse experienced by reception and other clerical staff and traffic wardens and the belief that these staff deserved of the levels of abuse that they receive. Conference firmly believes that no worker is deserving of abuse, whether physical or verbal, for carrying out a public service.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to campaign for legislation to protect all public service workers regardless of occupation or employer, in the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments, and for a package of non-legislative measures, including better guidance and codes of practice for employers, with a view to the prevention of violence in the workplace on the basis of partnership between trade unions and employers’ organisations. Conference also requests the National Executive Council to refer this matter to the National Labour Link Committee with a view to securing their support for this campaign.