- Conference
- 2024 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2024
- Decision
- Carried
UNISON boasts a proud history of tirelessly advocating for the rights and wellbeing of public service workers in the United Kingdom
However, the landscape in which we operate has evolved dramatically over time. As the challenges facing our members continue to transform, we must adapt and innovate to ensure that our role remains effective and impactful.
The role of organising within UNISON stands as paramount. Organising is not merely a tactical approach; it is the cornerstone of our union’s ability to represent, empower, and ultimately enhance the lives of public service workers. It is through organising that we harness the collective power of our members to effect positive change in their workplaces and communities.
Conference welcomes the new UNISON-wide Organising to Win (OtW) strategy that aims to build the union by ensuring the adequate planning and resourcing of organising priorities, increasing member participation, achieving sustainable membership growth and expanding the activist base.
2023 saw a high level of organising, campaigning and bargaining activity, supported and promoted by multiple teams across the union and amplified by paid advertising and press and social coverage to ensure maximum impact.
In Northern Ireland the strategic organising model, championed by the OtW, was successfully utilised during 2023 to help the region achieve record recruitment of nearly 11,000 new joiners, 10% yearly growth, and an all-time high full membership figure of 51,000 members.
In Scotland the Regional Plan has seen effective campaigning and successful industrial action ballots and strike action in Local Government, Further Education and Higher Education, utilising modern organising tools and lay activists and staff working to deliver positive outcomes; building membership and recruiting activists in social care; organising around violence in schools and pay grading in the NHS.
All contributed to growth in:
1) Membership. Net membership growth was achieved for the second consecutive year;
2) Member Recruitment. Over 209,000 new members joined in 2023. An increase of 13 percent on 2022 and 47 percent on 2021;
3) New Activists. 4,097 new stewards, health and safety representatives (H&S) and union learning representatives (ULR) were appointed in 2023. An increase of 56 percent on 2022;
4) Activist Training. 1,648 stewards were Employment Relations Act (ERA) trained in 2023. An increase of 38 percent on 2022. Training also increased for Health and Safety and ULR representatives.
Conference recognises the considerable progress achieved and the challenges that remain.
Conference believes a union’s strength lies in its collective power, and organising is the means by which we consolidate and harness that power, as a fundamental strategy for securing the rights and interests of members in a constantly changing environment.
Conference confirms our commitment to building a bigger and stronger UNISON, reflective of the diversity, values, and aspirations of the public service workforce, and dedicated to providing expert advice, support, and empowerment to its members through community, solidarity, and effective collective activity.
Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to continue implementation of the Organising to Win strategy, with a particular 2024 focus on:
a) A continued and increased commitment of resources over the coming years to achieve the ambitious growth targets set by the union and ensure that full resourcing is available across all the relevant OtW campaigns and workstreams;
b) Regional and service group annual organising plans to ensure ongoing sustainable growth in membership, participation, and activism;
c) Development of new tools and techniques to improve member retention;
d) Launch of an “active member” role, with pathways to further activism;
e) Promotion of the UNISON College and the role of Union Learning Representatives;
f) Review and update all activist training to ensure consistent best practice organising content;
g) Promote Regional Organising events such as the North West Skills For Strength, now in its tenth year, that attracts hundreds of activists every year to have a full day looking at organising methods and successes;
h) Continued engagement with the national industrial action project to ensure best practice organising techniques are embedded in future strategies for winning national ballots and disputes’;
i) Collaboration with the national communications team to promote organising and campaigning work of the union and continue to build on membership and activist growth;
j) A fundamental review of the Organising Framework for 2024/5;
k) Develop Branch guidance and training to align organising and bargaining at a local level to increase member terms and conditions and secure improved union facilities;
l) Review existing UNISON guides and resources to ensure consistency with the Organising to Win strategy;
m) Continue to improve organising data insight and reporting;
n) Ensure a consistent and high standard of training is delivered throughout the organisation;
o) To proactively develop organising plans for under-represented members in Branches and Service Groups.
Conference recognises that the opportunities presented by OtW will only be fully realised if it is supported at all levels of the union and calls upon the National Executive Council to work with all Branches and Regions to:
i) Review any BSOF surpluses and ensure maximum resourcing of “One UNISON” priority campaigns, including piloting of paid release and / or secondment of activist teams to work alongside UNISON Branches to deliver priority organising activity;
ii) Promote Organising to Win best practice by encouraging all activists to access the new organising guides, webinar recordings, templates, and tools contained on the UNISON Organising Space;
iii) Give active organising support to any “One UNISON” campaigns that covers members of the branch;
iv) Regularly monitor and review the Organising Framework and other branch organising plans to raise UNISON’s profile and deliver effective base organising activity to increase member recruitment, retention, participation, and activism at the workplace level.
Conference believes that full implementation of the Organising to Win strategy is a process and encourages continuous review and evaluation of the organising strategy’s effectiveness, with a focus on celebrating and promoting successes to build member confidence and engagement.