Police Federation Membership Expansion

Conference notes with extreme concern, the announcement at Police Federation Conference 2005 that the Federation has set up a working party to examine pros and cons of taking police staff, with police powers into membership. This could potentially lead to the Federation seeking to recruit PCSOs, detention officers investigating officers and other police staff accredited […]

Budget Cuts

Conference notes there has been a political decision that there shall not be any reduction in Police Officer numbers. Consequently, under the force wide efficiency and budget savings exercise, Forces are redeploying Police Officers into Police Staff posts to avoid any reduction in Police Officer numbers. This means that Police Staff are carrying the brunt […]

PCSOs

Conference welcomes the Government’s announcement that the Service will employ 25,000 Police Community Support Officers by 2008. In so doing, Conference acknowledges that this major increase in the Police Staff establishment will present both opportunities and challenges for the Police Staff Service Group. The opportunities include the potential for a massive increase in membership and […]

Protect Our Pensions

This Conference notes that the Police Staff Service Group represents around 32,000 members. The vast majority of whom are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme. Conference is alarmed at Government Proposals to significantly weaken our pension provision. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned that as public sector workers we could be denied the right to […]

Protecting Our Members From False Allegations

UNISON has fought for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, as many lesbian, gay and bisexual people are aware, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are, there is very little in the way of information and support. There are […]

Funding of Police Forces

Conference is concerned over the inadequate funding by the Government of Police Forces in the UK. Forces are facing tight budgetary constraints with the introduction of new initiatives emanating from Police Reform, most only having time-limited resources to start the schemes and then leaving individual Forces to find funding for the future. With about 85% […]

Domestic Violence

Conference is concerned that it is still not widely known that domestic violence accounts for at least 25 per cent of all violent crime, that one in four women will experience domestic violence at some time in their lives, and that every week at least two women will be killed by violent partners or ex-partners. […]

Return to Work following Childbirth

A law is already in place to ensure that women have the right to return to work after maternity leave. All too often, women are returning to work to find their job role has changed, their responsibilities and even their workplace. Although against current regulations, opportunities to return to their previous work are often denied […]

Work Life Balance

Conference welcomes campaigning materials produced by the National Women’s Committee on work life balance and flexible working. Unfortunately, Conference must also note that the application and interpretation of work life balance has been very different between and within organisations, to the detriment of women. Conference recognises that many employers do not encourage job sharing, or […]

Women and Pensions

Conference recognises that changes to the state pension system in recent years in terms of contributions, retirement age and earnings on which pensions are based puts women at an unfair disadvantage. The existing state pension alone is insufficient to provide for basic needs and requires a large number of recipients to undergo the humiliation of […]

Recruitment and Organisation

Conference has previously noted that: 1)many women members are unaware of the opportunities open to them within UNISON; 2)not all branches are able to establish and maintain women’s groups; 3)women still face discrimination and barriers to involvement in the work of the union. Conference also recognises that Composite A, agreed at National Delegate Conference 2004, […]

National Terms and conditions

Conference condemns the employers’ attempts to minimise and bring into disrepute the National terms and conditions as negotiated by the Police Staff Council. The term ‘voluntary’ as used by the employers and as indicated on their website, creates a nonsensical approach to legally agreed and binding agreements. Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to use […]

Local Negotiations

Conference is concerned by the difficulties branches may be having with local negotiations based on the implementation of the Police Staff Handbook. Conference condemns the actions of certain unscrupulous employers in their approach to local negotiation. Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to provide written advice and guidance, and support to Police branches for the […]

Serious and Organised Crime Agency Shadow Sector Committee

This Conference recognises that it is essential for UNISON to be properly organised to represent members’ interests in the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). UNISON has members in the National Crime Squad (NCS), and National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) who will transfer under TUPE to SOCA on 1 April 2006. In preparation for this […]

Police Efficiency Strategy

Conference is extremely concerned that the Home Office, ACPO and APA are making decisions on the Government’s Efficiency Strategy for the Police Service without proper consultation with UNISON or other representative bodies. Conference notes in particular: 1) the Home Office has refused to set up machinery to enable a social partnership approach to police efficiency […]