- Conference
- 2026 National Higher Education Conference
- Date
- 6 October 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that digital technology is increasingly used in all areas of the workplace, from HR systems and e-learning to rota management, payslips, communication tools and performance monitoring. Staff in lower-paid, part-time, shift-based, or frontline roles such as portering, cleaning, catering, and other manual roles are often excluded from digital systems or not provided with adequate access, training or support.
Digital exclusion disproportionately affects:
a)Older staff;
b)Staff with caring responsibilities;
c)Disabled staff;
d)Lowest paid staff;
e)Staff whose first language is not English;
f)Staff in insecure or agency work.
This lack of access to digital tools can mean that staff are missing out on vital workplace information, training, progression opportunities, and the ability to fully participate in union activity.
Digital inclusion is an equality issue and must be treated as such by employers and trade unions alike. It is a growing form of structural disadvantage and risks further entrenching race, gender and class inequalities.
It is vital that access to digital systems, training and communication is fair, inclusive, and accessible to all staff — regardless of grade, role, or location. UNISON has a vital role to play in challenging digital exclusion to ensure that our members are not left behind in increasingly digital workplaces.
We therefore call on the Higher Education Service Group Executive to:-
1)Work with the NEC to campaign for digital inclusion as a workplace equality priority;
2)Produce guidance for branches to:
a)Bargain for fair access to workplace technology and digital systems;
b)Ensure all staff receive paid time and training to develop digital skills;
c)Challenge digital-only HR processes and inaccessible internal communications.
3)Campaign for employers to carry out Equality Impact Assessments on all digital workplace changes, with a focus on low-paid or non-office-based roles;
4)Provide training and support for reps to recognise and challenge digital exclusion in their workplaces;
5)Encourage the wider union to adopt inclusive digital practices in its own communications, organising, and events, ensuring members without regular digital access are not excluded from participation.