The fight for decent working hours has always been at the heart of union campaigning. Trade unions fought for an eight hour day in the 19th century and a two-day weekend in the 20th. In the 21st, it is time to take the next step and win a four-day week with fair pay for all. […]
Conference motions
Government proposals in effect will ban the right for workers to raise genuine concerns concerning pay and working conditions through strike action. The new law is insisting on Minimum Service Levels, during strikes in areas where our members work. Ambulance, Border control and some passport workers will be affected, but this law can be extended, […]
Conference notes that in January 2024 UNISON joined the protest in Cheltenham against the Tories’ new Minimum Service Levels Act 2023, and a day of historical strike action took place in Northern Ireland. Conference notes that the last year has seen a high level of organising and bargaining in UNISON. The ‘One UNISON’ campaigns of […]
Conference is appalled at the ongoing funding crisis in local government, which is now resulting in an existential threat to the future of many councils across the UK. Extensive UNISON research from last autumn revealed that councils across the UK were facing a funding shortfall of £3.56billion in 2024/25 and a cumulative funding gap of […]
The question of the constitutional future of the United Kingdom is becoming more prevalent amongst society and UNISON members. In the previous decade, the UK has been embroiled in constitutional arguments, the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 and Brexit in 2016. However, it is not only these era defining events that call into question the […]
Conference is appalled that two women are killed each week from domestic abuse and many women and children are stuck in abusive situations due to the fact that they cannot access a refuge space. The reduction in refuge provision for women and children throughout the UK is not only adding to the death of women […]
Conference is deeply concerned about the exploitation of migrant workers in the UK, particularly in the social care sector. Acute underfunding, a refusal to address workers’ pay and the absence of meaningful reform has left the social care sector in crisis. Care workers are overworked, underpaid and struggling to plug the gaps in a sector […]
Trade unions are indebted to the young people across the globe whose campaigning has brought this vital issue to the top of our political and bargaining agendas. The legally binding commitment to get public services to Net Zero by 2050 is essential but inevitably comes with increased pressures on all services to make the necessary […]
Years of under investment and cuts have led the UK to be a poorer place. Conference therefore notes with concern the growing issue of employers passing on costs to their staff as a consequence of cuts. Uniforms, mandatory training, shadowing, criminal record checks, mandatory professional accreditations, annual registration fees, car parking and using a car […]
Learning is fundamentally central to supporting our activists and ensuring that they receive the best training and support; learning is also vital for our members to develop personally and professionally; and learning is key to supporting wider growth and productivity through ongoing training or developing new skills. Conference recognises that learning is central not only […]
Workplace Sexual Harassment Numerous surveys run over the course of the pandemic have demonstrated an increase in workplace sexual harassment, with most experiences being online. Homeworking has left women workers unsafe and unprotected from sexual harassment at work. Current protections are clearly not enough. Women have experienced harassment on various online platforms and felt unable […]
Conference is well aware that disabled workers are paid £3,700 less than non-disabled workers. But conference notes that disabled women are paid even less than disabled men. According to TUC analysis, disabled women face an even bigger pay gap of over £7,000 a year. The gap also increases as women age. Conference recognises that there […]
Please note, in this context, when we refer to Women, the term encompasses women and pregnant people. Conference notes that there is currently a disparity around attendance management policies for pregnancy losses of less than 24 weeks gestation when compared to pregnancy related illness in an ongoing pregnancy. Our members can unfairly fall through the […]
Conference notes and welcomes the new protection from redundancy for pregnant workers and new parents. Conference thanks Dan Jarvis MP for working in support with UNISON on the new law – the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill – to prevent employers from laying off expectant mothers and new parents, by extending redundancy […]
Conference notes that 2023 was designated UNISON’s year of Black workers, with the aim of ‘establishing legacy to generate change’. Conference welcomes all the work that has been put into marking the year of Black workers, but notes that there is still a long way to go, particularly in regards to young Black members in […]