- Conference
- 2016 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 9 February 2016
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference believes that the Trade Union Bill is best understood as a political attack on trade unionism. All unions will be affected by restrictions on their ability to undertake industrial action and political campaign activity, and will be subject to greater scrutiny by the Certification Officer. Public sector trade unionism will be especially hard hit by additional strike ballot thresholds, the DOCAS ban and likely attacks on facility time arrangements.
Conference believes that the government’s focus on attacking public sector trade unionism at the beginning of the Parliament constitutes an attempt to diminish opposition to their planned programme of cuts to public services, job cuts, worsening of terms and conditions and privatisation.
Conference believes that the Bill is designed to strike at UNISON’s central nervous system – making it much harder for us to operate as an organisation. The Bill attacks our main source of income (DOCAS), our main means of supporting members (facility time), and our ability to be a campaigning union (political fund restrictions) and as such constitutes an existential threat to our union.
Conference believes that it is essential that UNISON responds to this threat through face to face workplace organising supported by a range of innovative campaign methods. In the coming months, the provisions in the Bill will require us to:
1)Re-double efforts to build strong workplace organisation across the union;
2)Get DOCAS-payers in public sector employers to complete direct debit mandates;
3)Get existing members in all employers to consent to supporting our union’s campaign work;
4)Make the case that facility time in the public sector is invaluable to the well-being of employees, employers and the wider public.
Conference believes that these challenges will require an unprecedented mobilisation within workplaces. It will require a highly visible UNISON presence and effective face-to-face conversations with our members and potential members. It will require extensive planning, mapping and coordination. It will require existing activists and new activists to exhibit tremendous energy, discipline and perseverance. Conference believes that the Trade Union Bill necessitates an acceleration in UNISON’s ongoing journey towards becoming an organising union.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council to:
a)Ensure that branches and regions have the necessary resources and materials to enable a large-scale mobilisation:
i)Across public sector workplaces, to switch existing members and new members to direct debit;
ii)Across all workplaces, to promote the UNISON political funds and the ability of the union to campaign effectively;
b)Assist branches and regions to make the case that facility time in the public sector is good value for employees, employers and the wider public;
c)Ensure that building stronger workplace organisation is a key component to all campaign activity;
d)Campaign for the repeal of the Trade Union Bill/Act.
