Conference notes that local government has been a devolved responsibility of the Welsh government since 1999, with local authority financial settlements determined by Welsh government rather than Westminster. Since that time we have witnessed an increasing divergence of approach towards local government between England and Wales, with regards to funding, council tax, approaches to outsourcing […]
Conference motions
With a static or decreasing number of members in our branches we need to review how we organise within the Water, Environment and Transport Service Group (WET). As moves are made to change our branches we need to find a structure that suits us before one is imposed. There seems to be a coordinated effort […]
Conference notes the inability of the current National Joint Council (NJC) to effectively negotiate on behalf of UNISON members. Primarily this is because of intransigence from the employers’ side buoyed by a hostile Westminster Government. Conference recognises that the current NJC arrangements restrict the ability to negotiate on a National basis within Wales with a […]
This Water, Environment and Transport Conference 2014 welcomes legislation banning smoking in workplaces etc. One area that wasn’t addressed however and continues to give our members health and safety concerns is visiting customer’s residential properties whereby the occupiers’ smoke. We call upon the Water, Environment and Transport Executive to produce appropriate guidance which will include […]
The latest reorganisations within several of the water companies seem to have turned the clock back and brought clean and waste water operatives working together and cross functioning across sites. This seems to us to be a backward step. The risk of contamination to workers and the public was a major reason why these streams […]
Conference calls upon our Pension Representatives and negotiators to defend the existing rights of all UNISON members. We call upon UNISON to stop the recommendations proposed by the Local Government Pension Scheme Cost Sharing Proposals. These proposals to be in place by 31 March 2009 and include cost sharing by both parties, employer and employees, […]
This conference believes that a safe working environment is a right for everyone. There is a requirement under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Act 2003 and the Fire Scotland Act 2005 for employers to provide adequate resources to ensure that the workplace has taken […]
This Conference Supports the development of the NHS Green Travel plan, which encourages the use of public transport, walking and cycling to work. Accordingly Conference agrees to 1)Support the NHS Environmental travel plans 2)Calls for a ring fencing of a percentage of car parking for the use of showers, changing facilities and safe bicycle storage […]
The Women and Work Commission report has once again highlighted the need for quality part-time work to be available to women if the gender pay gap is ever to be closed. LG part-time women earn a mere 58% of full-time men working in local government 85% of NJC workers on points 4-6 are part time, […]
This conference recognises that fragmentation of our branches in the conventional sense is taking place. Service Group Executive members on UNISONs ‘Structures Review Group’ should urgently address the range of facilities afforded by employers. This is called for in the face of the most advanced package of changes in the NHS yet faced by branches. […]
·Conference deplores the failure of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Trusts within Northern Ireland to exercise their statutory obligations under Section 75 and Statutory Duty in employing and providing services for those with disabilities; · ·Conference calls on UNISON to seek an immediate Audit of the numbers of disabled staff employed within the Northern […]
Whilst recognising that some staff have done well out of the high cost area allowance under Agenda for Change, many staff have actually lost some of their London weighing due the move from a flat-rate to a percentage rate. This is a retrograde step as it affects the lowest paid staff. It is also the […]
Conference is wary of the national employers’ wishes to ‘modernise’ working practices and the effect this will have on pay, terms and conditions for local government workers. Having witnessed ‘modernisation’ in, most graphically, the civil and fire services, we understand this is a euphemism for an attack on nationally negotiated terms and conditions. Conference opposes […]
UNISON believes that it is the responsibility of the employer to cover any act or omission on the part of a member in the course of their employment under the vicarious liability of the employer. Nevertheless this Conference believes that the cover which UNISON provides to its members in Health should be extended to its […]
Conference notes that under Agenda for Change 16 different factors have been invented and have been weighted so that: ·hard physical work gains a maximum of 25 points but; · ·knowledge, training and experience is worth 240 points; · ·25 points are available to recognise tough working conditions yet; · ·360 points are available to […]