- Conference
- 2025 Water, Environment & Transport Conference
- Date
- 14 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that the outcome of the PR24 price review process will require the water industry to increase customer bills over the five-year period to 2030. Despite this, Ofwat has failed to effectively target the vast profits being made within the privatised water industry, nor has it done enough to protect the most vulnerable households in society.
As a consequence, the continuous and increasing attacks on workers, further fuelled by public frustration with pollution incidents and exacerbated by media propaganda, can no longer be ignored.
UNISON’s launch of its report, Clean Water: A Case for Public Ownership last year highlighted that the privatised model of the water sector is not fit for purpose. The report called on the government to reform the sector and bring water back into public ownership.
The continuing financial instability at Thames Water further demonstrates that the sector urgently needs reform. At the time of writing, Thames Water is struggling to secure the funds it needs to remain viable, creating significant uncertainty for its workforce and raising broader concerns about the sector’s sustainability. This cannot continue.
Conference believes:
1)The implementation of PR24 must not come at the expense of our members’ terms and conditions, nor compromise health, safety, and environmental standards across the sector.
2)Workforce planning is critical to ensure that any reforms are managed effectively, minimising disruption and ensuring the sustainability of jobs within the water industry.
3)The government’s approach to the crisis in the water sector is entirely inadequate given the scale of the challenge and does not reflect the expectations of UNISON members in the sector, or the policy of the Service Group.
Conference calls upon the WET Service Group Executive, working with the Water Industry Sector Committee, to:
a)Engage with Ofwat and any government department responsible for water to influence the implementation of PR24 in a way that safeguards our members’ interests.
b)Demand that the government and the water industry commit to robust workforce planning as part of any reforms introduced under PR24, ensuring no jobs are at risk and necessary skills are developed and retained.
c)Monitor and challenge any attempts to erode members’ terms and conditions or reduce safety standards across the industry.
d)Campaign for transparency and accountability from employers and regulators, ensuring safety, fairness, and sustainability remain priorities during the delivery of PR24 objectives.