There are just 29 days to go to one of the most important elections in UNISON’s history, the national executive council heard at its meeting in London this morning.
Opinion polls show that there is still everything to play for and the union is campaigning hard among union members in key marginal seats.
The NEC called on all members to make sure they use their vote and pledge to vote for public services.
Looking at recruitment and organising the NEC noted that the union is still experiencing a net drop in membership, as cuts continue to hit the services members work in.
But the net loss is lower than in the previous two years, while recruitment is greater than in 2014 or 2013.
The meeting also heard that 27% of new joiners come from outside the public sector and 60% of recruits are joining online.
With the current government pushing to end the check-off system of paying union subs through salary deductions in the civil service, general secretary Dave Prentis reported that the Department of Justice had notified the union that it intends to end check-off for members in the National Probation Service in September.
Mr Prentis also reported that the union has been granted leave to appeal against the High Court’s decision against its application for a judicial review of employment tribunal fee.
The executive was also updated on pay campaigns and bargaining in each of the union’s service groups.
The NEC also:
- received an update on planning for June’s national national delegate conference in Glasgow;
- decided it’s policy on motions and rule amendments submitted to the preliminary agenda;
- agreed to prioritise 12 motions for debate at conference, covering campaigning for public services (motion 29), getting members more active (1), fairer taxation (31), pay, bargaining and the living wage (18), training for activists (6), supporting the campaign for democracy in Swaziland (62), promoting union and employment rights (53), UNISON and devolution (88), tackling vulnerable employment and casualisation (10), pensions (25), the housing crisis (30)and migrant workers in Qatar (61);
- agreed to prioritise proposed rule changes 25, 9, 3, 5, 17 and 20 for discussion;
- agreed the first draft of the annual report.