- Conference
- 2022 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2022
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that we are in a worsening cost of living crisis with inflation at the highest rate for 30 years and a record increase in household energy bills. according to Office of National Statistics data, inflation using the government’s preferred measure of the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 5.4 percent in the 12 months to December 2021. This is the highest rate since 1997. The more representative Retail Price Index registered an increase in inflation of 7.1 percent. It is anticipated that inflation could rise above 7 percent by Spring 2022.
Conference further notes that high rates of inflation are eroding the spending power of our member’s pay. The rising inflation rate comes alongside a huge increase in energy costs with OFGEM announcing that the price cap determining the maximum energy companies can charge will rise by 54 percent in April. At the same time workers will be hit by a hike in NI contributions. This means that most households will be worse off in 2022 as the cost of living continues to rise.
Even these figures do not give a complete picture of the disproportionate impact of inflation on the low paid who have to spend a greater proportion of their income on essentials such as food and energy bills which are rising at rates faster even than indexed inflation. Meanwhile the Office of National Statistics figures estimates that inequality is so pronounced in the UK that the wealthiest 10 percent hold around half of all wealth.
Conference does not believe that the workforce in public services who have kept the country going during the pandemic should be facing a post pandemic cut in their living standards.
Conference notes the economic dislocation and difficulties caused by the pandemic.
Conference believes public sector wages represent an effective form of economic stimulus. Providing growth that has a tangible effect in local communities. The below inflation wage rises and pay freezes which have been the norm over the last decade have contributed to slow growth, worsening inequality and a recruitment and retention crisis in key sectors of public services.
Real pay has been declining for decades and we need to engage our members in giving them the confidence to campaign for above inflation pay increases. Whatever the finer detail of our pay claims, if we are to be effective in making our demands, we need to place ordinary UNISON members at the centre of our campaign.
Conference notes that pay failing to keep up with the cost of living effects pensions in later life and that today’s pensioners are facing rising bills too with fixed incomes. Furthermore, the government has suspended the triple lock on the state pension.
Conference believes taxation policy must limit opportunities for evasion, avoidance and non-payment and prioritise effective action, including appropriately severe penalties, where wrongdoing is identified. To do this administration of the tax system at all levels and including action to identify and penalise evasion, avoidance and wrong-doing, must be adequately resourced.
Conference calls on government at all levels, local, Scottish and UK to take seriously their responsibility to fund services and deliver a fair wage for those who provide them.
From the very start of this year’s pay campaign, we need to inform members of the issues and enable activists to run a lively and effective campaign. We need to ensure that activists engage with members on pay and they accurately report back to Regional and National meetings on the strength of feeling of their membership.
Conference we need to acknowledge that more needs to be done to engage members in pay consultations to ensure that pressure can be brought on the employers to offer real pay increases and not below inflation ones. Activists need to “empower our own members,” to get them to believe taking action will result in an improved pay offer.
Conference, we also need to acknowledge that when we are pursuing national pay claims, we are doing so in a hostile environment. There is little sense in submitting claims and waiting patiently for positive, or even reasonable responses.
We are in year two of what is effectively a government-imposed policy to further cut living standards for public sector workers. As the largest Public Sector Union UNISON needs to give confidence to our members that we will seek to use our full strength across all service groups sectors and nations to defend our members living standards, in co-ordination with other relevant unions wherever possible. Whilst it is for service groups, sectors, and other appropriate bodies to determine the conduct of particular pay campaigns within their remit, we believe that as a union we need to strive for maximum unity in campaigning and action that is co-ordinated wherever possible.
Conference instructs the National Executive Council to:
1) Coordinate support across the union in support of fair pay rises which will defend members standard of living;
2) Provide maximum support to our members submitting pay claims and embarking upon industrial action including, where appropriate co-ordination of campaign activity with sister unions across public services and the TUC, WTUC, STUC, and ICTU;
3) Produce briefings of the key facts and issues of the campaign and to provide this to branches along with info graphics and visual materials that can be used on social media and newsletters;
4) Issue case studies/examples that can be used to demonstrate and humanise campaign material;
5) Work with regions to support the running of regional activist workshops as part of the pay campaign to help spread good practice and to further inform future publicity and campaign events;
6) Assist in securing decent pay awards by lending the weight of our entire union to proactive campaigns on pay that start from an expectation of employer and government hostility and seek to organise and mobilise members across service groups to capitalise on pressure points such as local elections or high-profile events;
7) Work with the National Retired Members’ Committee to build an alliance across the generations on cost of living issues.