- Conference
- 2022 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 9 December 2021
- Decision
- Carried
In 2021, the UN’s COP 26 event in Glasgow brought focus to the global challenge of climate change.
Conference notes the launch of UNISON’s report Getting to net zero in UK public services: The road to decarbonisation on 8 November 2021 and health branches’ ongoing involvement in the accompanying consultation. We look forward to engaging with the outcome of that exercise.
Conference also notes the ambitious plans to reduce both the directly-controlled and indirect carbon emissions produced by the NHS.
As well as engaging with the wider social movement on climate change and working with local green campaign groups on specific projects, UNISON needs to act to ensure that the cost of de-carbonising the NHS does not fall on health workers. Without trade union involvement, there is a danger that well-intentioned changes to help NHS organisations meet carbon targets could result in direct or indirect financial consequences for members. At an extreme, travel policies preventing access to car parks for petrol cars or decisions to stop central laundering of uniforms would have unjust consequences for health workers, hitting those with least money hardest.
UNISON wants to ensure that health workers do not get a raw deal from plans for the NHS to meet its Carbon-Neutral targets.
Conference acknowledges the scope and scale of the challenge of reducing NHS emissions and that the union is keen that health members and activists engage in conversations and decisions about how their own services and specialties can adopt greener ways of working. However, Conference also notes that there are issues on this agenda that cut across many different NHS occupations and settings and where decisions could have the potential to make some roles vulnerable, cause financial detriment for individuals or lead to significant change in the way that jobs are done.
Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to engage in the de-carbonisation work across the NHS, in order to identify and prioritise those aspects that have the most immediate and biggest impact on work roles, job security and earnings for NHS staff including: food policies; staff transport, uniforms and laundry etc. and to:
1. Work with external bodies with expertise in these areas to provide branches with
• practical advice and information
• training
• negotiating guidance including specific reference to ethical procurement policies
2. Support branches to be pro-active in encouraging the involvement of activists from our self-organised groups in this agenda to ensure approaches are inclusive of diverse experiences and perspectives
3. Work to influence discussion and policy development on these and related matters through the relevant partnership and bargaining structures within the 4 UK administrations