- Conference
- 2024 National Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 20 November 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the aim of NHS England to develop a suite of ‘simplified national people policies’ as set out in the NHS ‘Future of NHS human resources and organisational development’ report 2021.
In addition to this national initiative, some Integrated Care Systems have begun developing their own ‘model’ policy frameworks. In Lancashire and South Cumbria, a project called ‘One LSC’ is attempting to establish a single set of employment relations policies for the ICS area, which providers are to be subsequently expected to adopt at local level. Whilst establishing good practice across England, and in specific ICS areas, is helpful, it is vital that such initiatives do not undermine local recognition agreements and collective bargaining agreements in individual employers.
In the NHS, negotiating and bargaining over employment relations policies takes place at an England-wide level through the NHS Staff Council, or locally between recognised trades unions and employers. There are no formal mechanisms in place to agree employment relations policies at system or regional level in England.
In the devolved administrations, some progress has been made on administration wide policies. These have taken place through agreed and formalised structures which allow for representation and participation of UNISON branches and their representatives.
Specific circumstances and cultures in individual employers means that a ‘blanket’ approach to employment relations policies across different organisations is often not appropriate. Policies are improved through constructive discussions at organisational level. Any attempt to impose policies on our members without proper consultation is an attack on their terms and conditions and should be resisted.
Whilst recognising the benefits of establishing best practice and providing ‘template’-like tools for the development of employment relations policies where helpful, conference agrees the following principles upon which we should engage with any such proposals as a union:
1. Any policy frameworks introduced at England-wide, or England regional level must be subject to further discussion, development and agreement at local level, with full consultation in each employer between management and trade unions. Local employment relations machinery and collective bargaining must not be circumvented.
2. Any development of England wide regional or national policy frameworks or tools should involve consultation with recognised trades unions. In the case of ICS-level frameworks, trade union stakeholders from branches who may be within scope of the frameworks or tools should have the opportunity to be involved in their development, with facility time provided to ensure they can do this effectively.
3. Any policy framework introduced at England wide national or regional level should be optional for employers and staffsides to introduce locally, and ICS’s should have no ability to ‘mandate’ individual NHS employers to follow them.
4. All such policy frameworks or tools should seek to ‘level up’ to best practice, not undermine our members’ terms and conditions. All UNISON branches should negotiate on this basis.