Review of the National Lay Membership Structure

This conference notes the actions taken to date by the Executive regarding the review of the Energy, Transport and Water and Environment service group structures at national level. Conference notes the outcome of the consultation exercise with all three service groups. Conference further notes that the majority of Water and Environment branches who responded have […]

Partnership Fund

This Energy Service Group Conference notes the existence of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Partnership Fund which is established to jointly improve workers lives where partnerships exist. We note that both Thames Water and United Utilities jointly with the Trade Unions have recently been successful in obtaining £50K and £45.5K respectively which benefits […]

Fair Pay in the Environment Agency

This Water and Environment Service Group Conference notes that the Performance Related Pay (PRP) system operating within the Environment Agency provides an unfair pay system to many of our members employed by the Agency. This Conference is aware that the current PRP system in place is; Discriminatory Inefficient Subjective Discredits equalities and does not reflect […]

OFWAT Price Review

Conference notes the representations made by UNISON to both OFWAT and Government concerning the price review currently underway. It particularly welcomes the responses made to the various official consultative papers. Conference recognises that the new prices to be introduced in April 2005 will have a significant impact upon the employees of the water companies in […]

Pensions – The Right to Decide

Conference notes with concern the Labour Government’s proposals to make legislative changes to ensure that pension schemes do not allow individuals to receive their pensions before the age of 55. Since 1990 power companies have traditionally reduced staffing levels during reorganisations, mergers, outsourcing, relocation exercises etc. by natural wastage, early retirements and voluntary redundancies. Voluntary […]

Review of the National Lay Membership Structure

This Conference notes the actions taken to date by the Executive regarding the review of the Energy, Transport and Water & Environment service group structures at national level. Conference notes the outcome of the consultation exercise with all three service groups and in the light of this agrees that further work is necessary subject to […]

Government 10 Year Transport Plan – The Role of the Workforce

Conference welcomes the Government’s decision to review progress on achieving the aims of its 10 Year Transport Plan which, so far, has failed to produce any major improvements in public transport provision, significantly reduce road congestion and reduce deaths and casualties on out roads and railways. Conference notes that policy makers often overlook the role […]

Public Service – Public Transport?

This Conference notes that the Tory legacy of privatising local bus services in 1986 and the deregulation of rail services in 1994 has failed the travelling public of Britain miserably. This Conference calls upon the Transport Service Group Executive, in liaison with the NEC, to lobby the Government to reverse this failing Tory legislation and […]

Offshoring

Conference notes that the TUC estimates that between 150,000 and 200,000 jobs could be at risk in the private service sector due to work being offshored. Conference believes that offshoring on the scale envisaged is not inevitable but while it is happening the priority must be to defend our member’s jobs. Therefore we welcome work […]

Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation – Policing the New Legislation

Conference notes: i)That the long-awaited legislation protecting workers from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has now been in force for a number of months; ii)That some equalities policies, such as the Centrica policy, already included sexual orientation, and others have now been amended. However, Conference further notes that there is still much to be […]

Contractor Deaths on Water Sites

This Water and Environment Conference is very concerned about the decline in safety standards on sites such as those managed by United Utilities whereby three sub-contractors (including one aged 17) have died since Autumn 2003″. We call upon UNISON’s lay and paid officials on the (National) Water and Environment Service Group Executive with responsibility for […]

Call Centre Sickness and Stress

This Conference believes that the Data Protection Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act should -provide its membership with personal protection equal to that of the Human Rights Act. We believe that the high sickness levels within call centre employees has direct links with the oppressive environment, constant supervision and targets set within this […]

Negotiating an End to Disability Discrimination

This Energy Conference applauds the work undertaken by UNISON’s National Disabled Members Committee to promote negotiated agreements that make provision for Disability Leave. However, we are concerned that there is no adequate legislative provision to compel Energy employers to disregard disability- related absence and the consequence of this in relation to sickness absence procedures. There […]

Furthering Our Equalities Work in the Business and Environment Service Groups

Conference welcomes the developing programme of work on equalities in the Business and Environment Service Groups, led at national level by the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group, in liaison with the national self-organised group committees. Conference notes the positive impact this has had on organisation of lesbian and gay members at branch, regional […]

Investment in Public Transport

This Conference welcomes recent initiatives by the Government to invest in public transport within West Yorkshire, such as YellowBus, Yorcard and real time information, but notes with great concern that this is insufficient to redress the Tory legacy of inadequate investment in public transport provision. This Conference also notes that despite the recent problems with […]