Stand-by Rules Take Advantage of Members

Conference recognises the difficulties that Forces are having in maintaining 24 hour operational cover as a direct consequence of police budget cuts. Many departments have experienced redundancies coupled with an increase in the use of stand-by as a way to provide night-time cover when unsocial enhancements have been withdrawn. Colleagues such as Crime Scene Investigators […]

Survey of branches and members – disability related matters

Conference, in years past much welcomed legislation has been introduced to protect the rights of people with disabilities, including protections relating to work. Despite that, it is possible that these supportive words don’t always translate to the workplace, resulting in our colleagues who are disabled being treated inappropriately or less favourably. Others who witness such […]

Volunteers – Policing on the Cheap

Conference welcomes and commends the work done by the Service Group Executive over recent years to oppose volunteers as a replacement for the committed, experienced, well trained and accountable police staff lost due to the brutal budget cuts imposed since 2010. While the introduction of volunteers has not been consistent throughout all forces, what is […]

Black worker representation in police and justice workforces

According to police force recruitment statistics widely published in January 2016 a white applicant to the police force has a better chance of getting a job than a Black applicant in more than 2/3rds of UK forces. Further, Theresa May, Home Secretary stated that ‘diversity profiles’ showed no force had a Black representation reflecting the […]

Flexible Working in Operational Roles

Over the last 4 years we have seen a wholesale reduction in police staff work forces across the country At the time of the general election in 2015, police staff budgets have been cut by 20%. The impact of this funding reduction has fallen disproportionately on police staff. Police staff, rather than police officers, have […]

Policing on the cheap – exploiting the unemployed

Conference notes that Renfrewshire Council has announced an initiative to “offer 11-month, full-time ‘traineeships’” whereby the unemployed can be trained up as special constables but paid the National Living Wage. The local commander appears to support this “innovative” initiative. The Scottish Police Federation describe this as a “cynical attempt to deliver policing on the cheap” […]

Location tracking and Telematics in Water, Environment and Transport

Over the past decade, many employers in water, environment and transport have introduced tracking or “Telematics” technology in some form. This technology can track the location and movement of both vehicles and individuals in real-time, providing statistical and geo-locational information. Conference acknowledges that there can be some benefits regarding health and safety when this technology […]

The Environment Agency and major flooding incidents

Conference commends the incredible amount of hard work carried out by Environment Agency employees, including many UNISON members, (and employees from other organisations with flood relief responsibilities) during the flooding which took place in the final days of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. As a service group we are very proud that our members […]

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 […]

Facility time

Conference, these are incredibly turbulent times in the public sector, especially those employers in the Water Environment and Transport Service Groups. Conference motions continue to reappear especially those of facility time, outsourcing and privatisation. Conference the nature of the barriers facing disabled workers is so diverse and complex this can affect how disabled people are […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Stonewall workplace equality index

Conference notes that the charity Stonewall produces an annual workplace equality index, which it describes as an evidence-based benchmarking tool used by employers to assess their achievements and progress on lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) equality in the workplace. From 2016, they have pledged to also assess achievements and progress on transgender equality within the […]

The impact of pension changes on workers in the WET sector

Conference notes that from 6 April 2016 the Basic State Pension and Second State Pension (S2P) will end and be combined/ replaced by a new State Pension. The majority of members in the WET service group are currently paying reduced rate NI Contributions because they are in a work place pension scheme that is better […]