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 that in the past two years through a confluence of multiple crises including a global pandemic, a massive shift in the economy, and rising unjust violence against the Black Community, that Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Plus (LGBT+) young people everywhere faced issues that changed their lives. Unfortunately, we’ve seen these issues negatively impact […]
We are at a defining moment when it comes to climate change. Its impacts are global in scope and unparalleled. Climate change will affect every one of us on the planet, but its effects will not be the same for all. Greta Thunberg’s school strikes and climate strikes supported by the Trade Union movement are […]
Conference notes that even before the pandemic mental health and stress at work were among the leading issues raised by young workers. Conference notes that the pandemic has only exacerbated young workers’ concerns about mental health, whether that is due to working in stressful conditions on the front line, or due to isolation from friends, […]
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 notes addressing the climate change challenge requires a fundamental restructuring of the energy supply sector, moving away from the world�s fossil fuel-based system to one that relies on clean, renewable sources. The transition to a greener economy requires new skills. Skills needed for the newly emerging jobs, and skills needed for the adjusted existing […]
Conference acknowledges that even before Covid, equality was increasingly being seen as a luxury in many Energy workplaces, with some employers barely abiding by the law. There is now a risk of going backwards. Conference recognises that equality is at the heart of UNISON, and that self organisation is an essential tool to achieving UNISON�s […]
Prior to the pandemic there seemed to be practices within Energy employers where managers suggested that jobs such as back-office work and call centre work couldn�t be done from home due to technological limitations. People�s physical and mental difficulties can mean their conditions make it hard for people to get to and from offices. This […]
Conference notes that a UNISON survey of disabled members working from home during COVID-19, including Energy workers, found that 53% did not receive any reasonable adjustments from their employer to help them to overcome the barriers they faced as a disabled person working from home. Only 5% had help from Access to Work, the flagship […]
This special energy conference notes that to achieve Net Zero substantial investment will be needed within the Energy sector, both with established employers with whom we have an existing relationship, and likely new (and as yet not in existence) employers too) This could and should bring about new job growth within the energy sector over […]
This special energy conference notes that in November in Glasgow the previously delayed (due to Covid restrictions) COP 26 will take place. This will bring together nations from across the world to report on progress made since the COP 21 Paris Agreement was reached in 2015. This conference also notes that since 2015 the UK […]
At its inception in 2016, the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership, made up of 30 utility organisations; gas, power, water, and waste management, recognised the underrepresentation of Black workers across the sector, citing, �Workforce diversity and inclusion levels for the sector continue to be below the UK averages, with only 7% of the sector�s employees […]