- Conference
- 2021 Virtual Special Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 6 April 2021
- Decision
- Carried
Conference recognises that UNISON members in local government are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the communities they work in, as shown by their incredible work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, many of our members are subject to an alarming increase in violence, abuse and harassment at work.
After years of cuts to local government services and drastic reductions in staffing levels, instances of aggression and intimidating and threatening behaviour are increasing sharply – with the most recent data showing a 25% increase in recorded violent incidents against local government workers in the UK since 2015.
In addition to physical injuries caused by violence, many victims suffer from mental health issues following an attack such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The risk of violence, harassment and abuse is also higher for women, Black, disabled and LGBT+ members.
UNISON has conducted branch surveys and freedom of information requests which show that this problem is only getting worse and that many local government staff do not feel their employer is doing enough to tackle it.
In some local government services, the problem is particularly severe – a recent survey of library workers across the UK found that 85% of members reported an increase in violence and abuse towards the workforce and 92% reported an increase in difficult or challenging service users. Conference believes that the increase in violence at work is linked to both austerity and an increased climate of hate.
Conference believes that:
1)Violence, abuse and harassment are not part of the job. While some staff do work in extremely challenging situations, working closely with some very vulnerable people, all staff have a right to work free from fear and to feel secure that they are working in a safe, non-threatening environment;
2)Employers must do more to recognise that verbal abuse is also a form of workplace violence. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related violence as: �Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work�
3)Steps should be taken to better protect lone workers who are at greater risk in their jobs than other workers;
4)Employers should regularly conduct risk assessments to ensure that risks from work carried out alone are eliminated, reduced or minimised.
Conference calls upon the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
a)Raise awareness of the issue of violence, harassment and abuse in local government services, including services commissioned by local government;
b)Promote UNISON�s End Violence at Work Charter widely, with a campaign calling on all local government and associated employers to sign up to the charter and put in place the charter�s recommended prevention measures, monitoring processes, support for victims, safeguards and training;
c)Campaign for employers to include signing UNISON�s End Violence at Work Charter when commissioning services to outside contractors, building on successful campaigns in other parts of the public sector;
d)Continue to call for a reversal of central government cuts to local authority funding to ensure staffing levels are sufficient to ensure a safe working environment.