Immigration, Detention and Deportation

Conference notes: 1)The rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation both in the UK and across Europe; 2)The high proportion of Black workers in the UK who are being treated unfavourably in their workplaces by immigration legislation and policy. This is likely to impact negatively on their mental health and their ability to carry out their […]

Austerity and Our Local Economies

The North East is not alone in still feeling the increasing and cumulative effects of austerity since the financial crash of 2008 with continued cuts to public services and jobs. The cumulative effect of a lost decade of investment and wage growth across both public and private sectors is still being felt as the region […]

Attacks on Democracy

Conference notes that the current government have shown a disregard for democracy and civil society, including: 1) The introduction of individual voter registration and a subsequent decline in voter registration; 2) Boundary changes based on these lower levels of registration that disproportionately hit regions where the Conservative Party has few MPs; 3) The Lobbying Bill, […]

Don’t Silence the Occupation of Palestine

Conference is concerned at the introduction of new laws in Britain, the US and Israel, intended to silence those who campaign for the rights of the Palestinian people. In October 2015 the Conservative government announced they would introduce new rules “to stop politically-motivated boycott and divestment campaigns by town halls against UK defence companies and […]

Schools Funding

This Conference notes: 1)The proposal included in the Comprehensive Spending Review to create a single national funding formula for schools in England; 2)That this could cut funding for schools in cities and metropolitan areas in particular by as much as 20%; 3)Support staff, who make up 1 in 3 of workers organised within the local […]

Fairer Taxation and the Future Funding of our Public Services

Conference is dismayed that nearly six years on from his promise to “fix” the economy and only one month after the 2015 Autumn Statement – in which he said that the government’s job is no longer to “rescue Britain”, but to “rebuild Britain” – George Osborne has again returned to the economic politics of austerity […]

Strengthening Our Union: Supporting and Developing Our Stewards

Whilst UNISON can claim that we have an activist’s base of 50,000, all valuable roles and essential for creating a strong organised union, Conference notes that we have lost a significant number of experienced activists particularly our traditional steward’s as a consequence of the austerity agenda and the relentless privatisation of public services since 2010. […]

Trade Union Facilities

Conference notes that in a fair and democratic society workers have a fundamental right to form or join an independent trade union. These rights are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation convention, and the European Convention on Human Rights. Conference notes that facility time for trade union representatives has […]

Trade Union Bill

Conference believes that the Trade Union Bill represents the biggest assault on working people’s rights in living memory, and an unashamed and deliberate attack on public sector trade unions in particular. The Bill affects almost every aspect of trade unionism in England, Wales and Scotland. It shifts the balance of power in workplaces further to […]

Public Service Workers under Pressure

Conference notes that as a consequence of the unprecedented job cuts introduced by the Conservative government, the workload pressure being faced by many people working in public services is reaching a critical level. The effects on the well-being of our members, as working life becomes ever more stressful, and on the quality and sustainability of […]

Public Service Campaigning – Stop Outsourcing and Protect Members

Conference believes that keeping existing public services in – house should be the default position for all public services on the grounds that public services offer better quality, accountability, efficiency and social value to citizens, workers and tax payers. Any new forms of non public service delivery should not be considered until: 1)An in-house service […]

UNISON local government members supporting refugees

Conference is pleased to note that funding for refugee resettlement is to be increased. Whilst this targeted funding is welcome, it also raises concerns for staff working in local government who are already under extreme pressure from cuts in local government jobs and services, allied with increased demand from existing service users. Conference believes that […]

Living Standards Pay Justice and the Living Wage

Conference notes research by the House of Commons Library in January 2016, which showed that 2010-2020 will be the worst decade for pay growth in almost a century and the third worst since the 1860s. Conference considers this a damning indictment of successive Coalition and Conservative government policies on public sector pay, social security and […]

Health and Safety of Public Service Staff

Conference notes that when public services are under pressure from cuts and re-organisations that pressures increase on both staff and service users. Add those things to the Westminster government’s austerity agenda and we have a recipe for disaster. Employee’s health, safety and well being in the workplace are bearing the brunt of a nation ready […]

Bullying and Young Members

Conference recognises that the cuts in local government are adding to the already high levels of overwork. Staff are being asked to carry a heavier workload due to the reduction in staffing levels but continuing and sometimes increasing demands for services. In many councils the number of managers has been reduced with remaining managers expected […]