- Conference
- 2026 National Community Conference and Seminar
- Date
- 6 November 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference expresses its concern and dismay at Reform UK’s recent electoral gains, which signal a significant political shift with potentially serious implications for the community sector. Over the ten Local Authorities Reform currently controls, UNISON community has thousands of members who will be directly affected by the policy aims of Reform UK—whether through their commitment to cutting local government funding, attempts to reduce migration, denial of climate change, or rejection of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The policy objectives of Reform UK have the potential to seriously threaten the pay, conditions, and job security of workers across the community sector.
Conference is clear that Reform UK is a right-wing political party at odds with the values and principles of the trade union movement. Conference further notes Reform’s antimigrant rhetoric is increasing hatred and division in the country, and there are sections of the Community workforce which currently possess a significantly higher density of migrant workers than other sections of the labour market.
Migrant care workers, for example, play a crucial role in maintaining the care and wellbeing of individuals, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities, within the wider community sector. Despite their essential contribution to the workforce, Reform UK plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain and require migrant care workers to reapply for a visa every five years which will create uncertainty for them as Community social care workers.
Conference additionally notes with grave concern the remarks made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage regarding DEI and Climate Change. Charitable and not-for-profit organisations dedicated to these areas play a vital role in frontline service delivery – whether that be DEI educators or local sustainability advisors. These organisations are likely to face significant challenges when engaging with Reform-led councils and may be subject to reductions in local authority funding – jeopardising workers’ pay, conditions, and long-term job security.
Conference furthermore notes Reform’s position on local government finance, claiming that hundreds of millions of pounds is being wasted. This represents a complete lack of understanding of the realities of local government. The value of local authority grant-making to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations is around £600m for the latest financial year. Money from councils is currently responsible for 13p in every £1 of charity income. Without local government funding, many of these charitable and not-for-profit organisations will be at risk of vanishing. Reform’s position on local government finance is a blatant attack on our Community Service Group members and the vital work that they do.
Despite these challenges, Conference recognises the practical reality that UNISON branches, Community members and our employers will need to engage with newly elected Reform UK administrations. This must be done in a way that upholds UNISON’s values and advances our agenda in the best interests of local communities.
Considering this situation, and the thousands of community members working in areas Reform UK has power, conference affirms the need for a coordinated and strategic response, aligned with UNISON’s Organising to Win strategy, to support Community branches and those branches organising community members in the following areas:
1)Base Organising. Strengthen branch structures and staff resources to increase union density, improve member-to-steward ratios, and support the development of effective local stewards capable of engaging members.
2)Industrial Bargaining. Establish professional, constructive relationships with newly elected Reform UK councillors to identify areas of common ground and influence decision-making, while robustly defending members’ terms and conditions.
3)Strategic Campaigning and Escalation. Where necessary, launch targeted, winnable, issue-based campaigns with activity including potential industrial action if required.
To support community members directly affected by the rise of Reform UK, Conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to:
a)Work with regional community structures, local government structures, and other relevant parts of the union to monitor rhetoric from local Reform UK politicians, with the aim to identify early signs of hostile or regressive proposals affecting the community sector, such as funding cuts to contracts for social care, addiction rehabilitation, or other services commonly outsourced to the third sector. This could also involve reviewing council agendas in areas where they hold power.
b)Support branches in effectively supporting migrant workers. The community sector has in some areas a very high density of migrant workers, for example the social care sector. This should involve:
c)Encouraging branches to make Community members aware of the migrant workers networks.
d)Encourage branches to collate evidence specific to the rights of migrants working in services covered by Community branches, for example regarding changes to applications for skilled worker or care worker visas.
e)Raise the profile of UNISON’s campaign highlighting the vital contributions made by migrant workers to Community services.
f)Provide support and guidance to Community branches and regions as they deal with ruling Reform UK groups in councils (or any increase in Reform councillors), ensuring they are fully equipped to robustly defend members’ jobs, terms, conditions, pensions, trade union organisation and collective bargaining machinery.