School Support Staff

This Conference condemns the Coalition Government’s decision to abolish the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). This is happening at the same time as the government is encouraging all schools in England to move away from local authorities and the number of academies, trust and foundation schools is increasing and the Government’s encouragement of setting […]

Defending the Local Government Pension Scheme

This Conference condemns the Coalition government’s ongoing attacks on the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and welcomes the Service Group Executive’s statement of its response to those attacks issued in November 2010. Conference condemns the: 1)3% increase in employee subscriptions by 2014/15 required in the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review; 2)Switch from RPI to CPI for […]

Car Allowances and Rising Fuel Costs

Although UNISON has a National Agreement relating to casual and essential users and relevant mileage rates that accompany those categories of user, the outcome of Single Status negotiations together with the austere economic climate has led to more and more employers proposing to move away from the National Agreement towards the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment […]

Attacks on Terms and Conditions

Conference deplores current attacks on hard-won NJC pay and conditions across local authorities and Boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a pay freeze for a second year, without the £250 compensation promised by the Chancellor in his 2010 Budget. Dorset County Council proposed that its entire staff should take 1 day each month […]

Using Equality to Fight Local Government Cuts

Conference deplores the swingeing spending cuts taking place across local government. With a female workforce of over 75%, cuts to local government jobs and terms and conditions have a detrimental effect on women in particular and may adversely impact on other protected groups. The disproportionate impact of cuts on women is well documented: 1)The changes […]

Campaign Against local Government Cuts and for a Fair Deal

This Conference is appalled by the damage that has already been inflicted on local public services, to the communities that depend on them and to the loyal local government workforce that provides them by the social vandalism of the Conservative-led Government. Conference believes that there is no electoral mandate for the widespread destruction of council […]

Defending local government jobs and services for all

Conference notes the devastating impact of the local government cuts on women, Black communities, disabled people and those on the lowest incomes. The lack of data on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people makes the impact on LGBT workers and communities less easy to quantify, but their impact on people’s lives is equally devastating. […]

Speaking up for LGBT equality in a time of local government cuts

Conference deplores the unprecedented attacks on the rights of local government workers, on our terms and conditions and indeed on our very employment. Conference notes that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers have been among the last to gain the protection of the law. Seeking to avoid anti-LGBT discrimination has therefore been an important […]

Defend the Green Book

Conference agrees that National Joint Council (NJC) agreements enshrined in the “Green Book” form the very basis of Local Government workers terms and conditions, especially those covered in Part 2. We value our leave arrangements and believe that our sick pay arrangements protect members who are ill from having to survive in poverty. Over a […]

Stop the Attacks on Local Government Services

Conference notes that the ConDem government has refused to reduce the national deficit by alternative methods e.g. increasing taxation levels on multi-nationals, the implementation of the ‘Robin Hood’ tax, and forcing tax-dodging billionaires to pay their taxes in the UK. The result has been a massive attack on Local Government Staff and the services they […]

Youth Services in Crisis

Conference is deeply concerned about the disproportionate level of cuts to youth provision in the statutory and voluntary sectors. The workforce is facing major redundancies and those workers who survive the cull are facing attacks on their pay and conditions. Losing the skills and expertise of youth and community workers made redundant will have a […]

Colleges and the Green Agenda

Conference is concerned that as a result of savage funding cuts the green agenda could be dropped or sidelined by many employers. Conference notes that many college jobs are reliant on the development of training and education provision that supports the growth of new green industries. Conference is very concerned that the Tory led Westminster […]

Campaigning Against College Cuts

Conference is outraged by the savage funding cuts being inflicted on Further Education and Sixth Form colleges by the Tory led Government. Cuts that will both threaten large scale job loses in colleges and lead to increasing hardship and deprivation in the communities that our colleges serve. Conference notes that many of the colleges facing […]

Defending Meat Inspection Workers

This Conference notes the vital job which is done by Food Standards Agency meat inspectors, inspecting every piece of meat produced in Britain. However these civil servants work in appalling conditions with UNISON 2011 survey revealing that 64% have been bullied in the last 2 years, and 40% have had time off as a consequence. […]

Employee Led Mutuals “Pathfinder” Programme in Local Government

In February the government announced that the London Borough of Newham was one of these pilots, creating a new mutual model of delivery in children’s and young people’s early intervention services. We believe that the timing will inevitably lead to its being used as a mechanism for meeting some of the government cuts to our […]