Conference notes that Domestic Abuse is a workplace issue – with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men reporting domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime. Conference notes domestic abuse is estimated to cost workplaces national £1.9 billion per year. Conference notes that domestic abuse can have a highly negative impact on […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that in the wake of the final session of COP26 on Nov 12th which occurred after the closing date for motions to this conference, our world still faces a challenge bigger than anything we have ever encountered before. Conference notes that the watered-down deal made at COP26 does not go far enough and […]
Conference notes the shocking figures reported in April 2021 showing that of those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, almost 80% were aged under 35. Conference further notes the July 2020 study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which found that “the COVID-19 pandemic has severely dented the career prospects of young people […]
In 2019/20, there were 719,000 people participating in an apprenticeship in England, with 322,500 apprenticeship starts and 146,900 apprenticeship achievements. The NHS alone currently has 14,000 apprentices. In spite of these high numbers, union membership amongst apprentices remains very low There is often a great misunderstanding of apprentices. A common assumption is that apprentices are […]
This Conference denounces the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on young workers’ wellbeing and work/life balance, specifically with regard to the Right to Disconnect. This Conference notes that the Right to Disconnect is the ability to not engage in work-related electronic communications such as e-mails or messages during non-work hours. The Conference […]
Conference welcomes the increased recognition that mental health is a serious workplace issue for staff working in the Water, Environment and Transport sectors. It also has a strong equalities dimension. Even without the impact of the pandemic, people vulnerable to discrimination face worse levels of mental ill health. In the wider community, around 1 in […]
This conference notes that the UK Government has previously announced an acceleration on the progress to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Previously, the Committee on Climate Change had looked at the possibility of reaching net zero earlier but concluded that this was not credible. They acknowledged it could be possible in the […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many health, safety, and wellbeing issues for WET Service Group members. We ask that this Service Group Conference aims to secure a post-pandemic working environment that supports the needs of all our members, on a COVID secure basis, with employers meeting their full range of health and safety responsibilities […]
Conference notes that many disabled staff in WET workplaces have previously requested to work from home as a reasonable adjustment and been refused. However, COVID-19 has sparked a revolution in home working and as a union we need to build on the positives for disabled workers whilst also guarding against any detrimental impact. UNISON�s National […]
�We�re all in this together� has become a rallying cry during the coronavirus pandemic. While it is true that COVID-19 has affected everyone in some way, the magnitude and nature of the impact has been anything but universal. Evidence to date suggests that Black workers face much more economic and health insecurity from COVID-19 than […]
Conference is concerned that although some employers in the Water, Environment and Transport sector have worked hard to reduce their gender pay gap – notably Thames Water – reports for 2019 (reporting was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic) revealed others have mean average gaps which are significantly higher than the industry�s average of […]
2021 Water, Environment and Transport Service Group Conference notes that UNISON members employed in some sectors of our Service Group experience hearing difficulties during and post-employment caused through noise on operational sites particularly in Water. Pumping stations are particularly noisy but all areas of plant where noise exceeds permissible limits should (but often don�t) have […]
2021 Water, Environment and Transport Service Group Conference notes that UNISON members employed in some sectors of our Service Group experience hearing difficulties during and post-employment caused through noise on operational sites particularly in Water. Pumping stations are particularly noisy but all areas of plant where noise exceeds permissible limits should (but often don�t) have […]
This Conference is concerned about the health risks of UNISON members employed as shift workers in the Water industry and possibly other sectors covered by the Water, Environment and Transport Service Group. Regular shift working causes disturbed sleep patterns which in turn can affect concentration levels which can then cause potential Health and Safety issues […]
The Special Water, Environment and Transport Service Group Conference 2021 is increasingly concerned about the extent to which a decade of austerity and regulatory constraints has impacted on the safety of WET members when carrying out activities in the workplace as well as the impact on the response to the pandemic as key workers. The […]