Academies

This Conference is alarmed that the new coalition government announced plans on 25 May for an immediate Academies Bill to allow more schools in England, including primaries and special schools, to be fast-tracked into academies. They will not have to consult with the local authority and it is unclear if there will even be any […]

Shared Services

Conference notes that Shared Services are becoming a major issue for our members in Local Government – with the recession privatisation proposals are inevitable. The London Boroughs of Sutton and Merton has direct experience of shared services through a shared HR function. Despite resistance and arguments against the management proposals the Councils went ahead and […]

Cuts to Jobs, Pay and Services – A Strategy to Oppose that Puts Members First

Conference is appalled by both the speed and the scale of cuts that have already taken place and the extent of cutbacks that are being built into future expenditure plans by local authorities across the UK. This includes unnecessary and damaging plans by all political parties to freeze or cut Council Tax, with disastrous implications […]

Social Work

Conference welcomes: 1)The Changing Lives programme of social work reforms in Scotland 2)The final report of the Social Work Task Force for England 3)The review of the roles and tasks of social work in Northern Ireland 4)The Social Work Task Group in Wales Conference notes that the acute problems afflicting social work and qualified and […]

Personalisation

Conference notes the increased focus on personalisation of social care and its proposed role in the future of social care provision. Conference recognises the negative impact on jobs, pay and conditions and service provision and therefore the importance of maintaining UNISON’s personalisation campaign – “Cash for Care” – across the UK. This shift in the […]

Local Government Reserves; employment and public services for disabled people

Conference congratulates the East Midlands UNISON Region and Nottinghamshire UNISON Branch on their campaign to protect jobs and services and in particular their success in forcing the newly elected Conservative Council to delay the sale of residential care homes, retain community transport for 2010/11 and reduce planned increases in meals on wheels prices. Conference recognises […]

Training and Support for Personal Assistants

UNISON represents over 300,000 members working in all aspects of social care. It is now over 10 years since direct payments were first introduced for adults of working age. More recently they were extended to older people and to carers and parents of disabled children. It is estimated that there are now over 55,000 direct […]

Social Care, Privatisation and Disability

Conference restates its support for the principle that disabled people should have as much independence and control over their own care and support arrangements as is right for them whether by opting for local authority provision or through direct payments, provision should be subjected to a level playing field of regulation regimes, financial scrutiny, employment […]

School Support Staff

As a largely female, low paid workforce, organising and recruiting school support staff to improve terms and conditions has to be at the heart of UNISON’s agenda. The newly developed School Support Staff Negotiating Body will provide an opportunity to address discrepancies in pay and working conditions in schools. Conference will be aware of the […]

Sector Bargaining

Conference rejects calls by politicians and academics for local or individual bargaining in Local Government. Conference notes that the Local Government Employers (LGE) has given notice to terminate the JNC for Craft Workers to incorporate them into the NJC bargaining machinery. LGE have for some time been considering single table bargaining for all local government […]

Because You’re Worth It

Conference rejects the Local Government Employers’ ‘pay freeze’ imposed on the 1.4 million local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Conference deplores the fact that the employers have come to such a position without any negotiation. So far no offer has been made in Scotland in response to the SJC TU side pay […]

YOUNG BLACK WORKERS REPRESENTATION IN UNISON AND THE APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES

It is well known that young people are the future of this organisation and with that in mind we need a targeted advertising campaign to recruit more young Black members into UNISON, working directly with NUS Black Student campaign, UNISON young members and other Black orientated youth organisations. This conference is also aware that Apprenticeship […]

Medical Procedures in Schools, Colleges and Nurseries

Conference notes that education has become more inclusive with increasing numbers of children and young people attending mainstream schools, colleges and nurseries and extended school services. UNISON supports inclusive education but believes, for the safety and well being of children and staff, this must be adequately resourced, planned and supported. Conference further notes that UNISON […]

Green Jobs, Green Services, Green Workplace Reps

Conference is alarmed at the 15,000 local government redundancies across the UK in the 15 months to February this year and deplores the negative consequences for the individuals affected and local economies dependent on their spending power. Conference notes that in an otherwise austere pre-Budget report, an additional £150 million was announced for the ‘Warm […]

Pension Rights for Civil Partners

Conference welcomes the decision by government to agree new LGPS regulations that extend pensionable service for civil partner survivors’ pensions to include pre-1988 service, so that entitlement is equal to that of married couples. Conference acknowledges that the issue of survivor benefits for civil partners has been pushed by UNISON at every opportunity, in responding […]