The conference notes that the employers supposedly final offer of 1% for 2013-14 and the deletion of scale point 4 from October 2013 made on 24 April. Conference also notes that the offer is currently well below the Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation rate of around 3% and does not meet our claim for a […]
Conference motions
The Scottish Joint Council employers made a final pay offer last November of: 1)1% increase on all spinal column points from 1 April 2013. 2)Introduction of a Scottish Local Government Living Wage set at £7.50ph (The living wage element to be applied after the 1% uplift) 3)Potential for detrimental changes to terms & conditions next […]
Conference is concerned about the lack of development opportunities for Black members working in the Energy Industry. For instance British Gas Business Spinneyside have a large proportion of Black members, most are on L8 with less L7 (team managers) and fewer at senior management and above. This is disproportionate considering the number of Black members […]
As Energy Companies strive to maximise their profits, we note with concern the use of ‘’hot-desking’’ as an Employer tool to avoid investment in work space. This is particularly true of call centre operations where staff is accommodated on a first come first served basis. However the use of hot desking is now more widespread […]
In recent years the industry has seen the widespread introduction of new Human Resource initiatives. These include Performance Management, Personal Improvement Plans, revised sickness policies. Such policies are introduced on the pretext of modernisation and improved efficiency. Academic research shows there is little economic benefit from such policies and confirms the view that they are […]
Raising the profile of Black activists in the electricity and gas industries and increasing the number of Black members involved at branch, regional and national levels within the Energy service group and wider union is critical in meeting the UNISON’s recruitment and organising objectives. Conference also notes the Leadership School where activists can take steps […]
Conference notes the critical role that both Ofwat and Ofgem play in regulating the privatised utilities. It also notes that despite the role of the regulator, profits within the utility businesses have increased to record levels making the owners and key executives very wealthy. Despite the increased profits members have seen their pay and conditions […]
UNISON has a proud and proven track record in campaigning against consumer exploitation by UK energy companies. We have had to make the difficult and often divisive arguments in speaking up for consumers against the vested interest of huge power company giants. This has often placed us in the difficult position of criticizing our employers […]
The conference notes that the Coalition Government launched the Green Deal in Jan 2013. This supposed deal was introduced to encourage households to make their homes more energy efficient by having works carried out with little upfront cost but instead paying the costs via energy bills over a many years. As well as the potential […]
Conference welcomes the publication last year of the UNISON Call Centre Charter, which seeks to establish a decency agenda, allowing members to work effectively and efficiently in a safe working environment. The Charter was based on research on call centres and call handling operations by Professor Charlotte Rayner of Portsmouth University, who has a distinguished […]
Conference welcomes progress made by UNISON over many years in negotiating for equality in our energy workplaces. However, conference is concerned that equality considerations fall down the agenda in the face of cuts, reorganisations and redundancies. Conference is further concerned that transgender workers face particularly extreme discrimination when seeking work and once in work. To […]
Conference notes that the Government is proposing to allow companies to override the pension protections which were implemented when the Electricity Industry was privatised. These guarantees were one of the few protections won by trade unions during the Thatcher government’s relentless drive to privatise public services. The 1990 Electricity Regulations prevent private employers from reducing […]
This Conference notes that the Government is proposing to allow companies to override the pension protections which were implemented when the Electricity Industry was privatised. These guarantees were one of the few protections won by trade unions during the Thatcher government’s relentless drive to privatise public services. The 1990 Electricity Regulations prevent private employers from […]
Conference welcomes the UNISON call centre charter, launched in 2012, which calls on all employers who have UNISON members working in a call centre or in call handling operations to commit to improving the standards which those staff operate under. This includes ensuring that staff are able to take sufficient breaks away from the workstation […]
Conference is concerned about increased outsourcing and hidden privatisation in local government and the impact on disabled workers. Local authorities who oppose privatisation are looking at mutuals, cooperatives and social enterprises, all privatisation by another name. Public services by their nature are under-provided by the market because they do not make a profit. They are […]