National Bargaining

Conference notes the Passenger Transport Forum (PTF) replaced the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) with effect from 1st August 2005. The purpose of the consultative element of the PTF is to provide a joint Employer/Trade Union Forum committed to partnership working in order to consider the Human Resources implication of public transport issues, while the negotiating […]

Creating an Agenda on Equality and Human Rights

There has been a roll-back on equality and human rights throughout the UK despite decades of anti-discrimination legislation, statutory duties to promote equality of opportunity, domestic legislation on human rights and the UK’s obligations under a wide range of EU and UN equality and human rights instruments. The persistent attack on public services has further […]

Stop the destruction of SYPTE

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), has, in the last few years lost dozens of members of staff, encouraged to leave via SYPTE’s Voluntary Redundancy scheme, redundancies or merely by the none replacement leavers – many of these job losses have been amongst UNISON members. This policy of slashing services to the public will this […]

The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Workers in the Public Sector

The last five years have seen the Coalition Government use the economic crisis as a means of devastating the public sector. The Government’s austerity measures, in response to the global crisis, have been extreme and harsh. The cuts in the public sector are too quick, too deep and causing devastation to the services that they […]

Encouraging Diversity in WET Committees

In UNISON around 12% of our total membership identify as Black. UNISON is committed to fair representation and proportionality (Rule D4.1). However we know in the WET sector we do not see enough Black members represented at branch, regional and national committee level despite statistics telling us that Black people are still amongst those most […]

Appendix 2 – 4.13

Appendix 2. 4.13 Delete second sentence “The panel may impose any or all of the penalties under Rule I.8 (4) – (6)” And replace with “The panel may impose any or all of the penalties under Rule I.8 (4) – (7)”

Raising the profile of LGBT workplace equality in WET

Conference welcomes the strong track record of our water, environment and transport (WET) service group on equality issues. Amongst other successes, this has resulted in a diversity of activists on our national WET service group bodies, reflecting UNISON’s rules on fair representation and proportionality. Conference acknowledges the importance of such role models and the contribution […]

LGBT rights and collective agreements

Conference is concerned that collective bargaining and pay determination agreements have been under sustained Tory-led attacks. They have sought to destroy the very agreements that prevent them and their business friends from imposing poverty pay with no holiday or sick leave entitlements. Threats of regional pay bargaining are just the tip of the iceberg. Local […]

Tackling Biphobia in the WET Industries

Conference welcomes the progress we have made in putting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality on the bargaining agenda in the water, environment and transport (WET) industries. However, conference notes that LGBT workers are a diverse group, who experience different types of discrimination in different ways. There is increasing understanding that issues facing transgender […]

Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Glasgow Trade Union Recognition

Conference notes that this year’s event is in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) Glasgow. SECC UNISON members continue to be disappointed over SECC management and Glasgow City Council’s refusal to grant trade union recognition. Over the last year, SECC management have continued their anti-trade union stance and doggedly refuse to positively engage with […]

Rule C Annual membership audit, the appointment & removal of the Assurer

Insert new rule C 8: “C 8 THE UNION’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP AUDIT 8.1 The Union’s membership system shall be audited each year by an Assurer. 8.2 The Assurer will be a qualified professional body of either financial auditors or membership scrutineers. 8.3 The Assurer will be appointed by the National Executive Council who thereafter shall […]

TTIP and the Water Industry

Although most water companies in the UK are already foreign owned this is not the case of Scottish Water and Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water). As such they have been protected from predatory takeovers. The Transatlantic Trade Treaty (TTIP) whilst being potentially dangerous to many sectors has declared a definite interest in opening up the European […]

Rule D Service Group Conference

Rule D 3.4.6.2 delete “ Deputy General Secretaries”

Protecting Bus Services

Conference notes the excellent work carried out by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) in highlighting the widespread cuts to local bus services which have taken place in recent years – in particular their report, “Buses in Crisis: A report on bus funding across England and Wales 2010 – 2015”. Conference notes that the report […]

Changes to the Constitution of the WET Service Group

Conference notes the revised version of the Water, Environment and Transport Service Group Constitution which has been circulated in the papers distributed to delegates. Conference notes that the proposed revisions to the WET constitution have been overseen by the WET Executive and in particular by a sub-group of the WET Executive which was open to […]