- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 18 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that our members employed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in England, Cymru/Wales, and Northern Ireland work diligently to ensure the public consumes safe and hygienic meat, dairy, and seafood. Our members work in slaughterhouses, offices, and from home, making UNISON the biggest union organising in the FSA.
Conference also notes the vital contributions of members employed by the contractors Eville & Jones and Hallmark in safeguarding the UK from unsafe and unhygienic meat.
Conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to continue advocating for our members’ terms and conditions by:
1) Securing improved wages for our members through collective bargaining;
2) Negotiating and campaigning for pay progression restoration within the civil service;
3) Raising our profile within the meat and food sector via press communications and advertising;
4) Resisting efforts to undermine our members’ roles in food safety by advancing the Protect Our Food campaign through events, engagement with decision-makers, and digital communications, including social media;
5) Extending our organising efforts within the FSA to sustain membership levels and recruit from non-traditional roles;
6) Hosting pay and pension webinars to inform, consult, and support our members regarding their terms and conditions;
7) Continuing to benchmark FSA pay grades with equivalent regulatory roles in the civil service and local government to ensure fair remuneration;
8) Opposing the privatisation and deregulation of meat hygiene inspection.
