Conference notes the findings of the 2018 Trades Union Congress (TUC) report into third party harassment of young workers titled “Not part of the job”, the 2016 TUC report into sexual harassment at work titled “Still just a bit of banter?”, TUC research into experiences of sexual harassment of Black workers (2017), young workers (2017), […]
Conference motions
Conference asserts that the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court is the biggest attack on abortion rights since the 1970s. There are many US states ready to bring in bans following this ruling. These bans will not stop abortions. But they will stop safe abortions, and they will make it a […]
D 2.5.1 Delete “will be aged 26 or under” and replace with “will be aged 30 or under” Rule Q Delete “YOUNG MEMBER means a member aged 26 or under.” and replace with “YOUNG MEMBER means a member aged 30 or under.”
Conference notes the words of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, “Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time, and the greatest human rights challenge in our world.” Conference believes that identifying, celebrating and increasing visibility of women’s achievements worldwide can help forge equality and combat gender bias, and […]
Conference notes that since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a marked shift towards home or hybrid working in the WET sector. In pre-pandemic times, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) workers faced challenges in the workplace, including discrimination, harassment and a lack of inclusivity. While we note that there are advantages to agreed […]
Conference notes that there is a lack of diversity among field-based operational roles within the WET industries. This is a real cause for concern as it hinders the creation of an inclusive and welcoming work environment in WET industries. Field-based operational roles within WET are mostly roles that involve lone working, for example monitoring and […]
Conference notes the significant changes to working patterns and practices that have happened since the pandemic, including a large rise in remote and hybrid working, including in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) sector employers. Conference believes greater flexibility should be welcomed where this works for staff – for example, some disabled workers may find […]
UNISON has approximately 5,000 Health and Safety representatives across the union working hard to defend members’ health and safety at work. Over the past few years health and safety has emerged again as critical for protecting members’ rights at work, especially in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) service group. However, the gender balance of […]
Conference notes proudly that UNISON is a union with over a million women members and that we reach every corner of the UK and every corner of the public sector. Conference also notes that our collective labour as women contributes billions of pounds to the economy, and our human contribution keeps our society running, exceeding […]
Conference notes the success of UNISON’s Year of Disabled Workers 2022. With the year now over, we have seen renewed focus on the experience of disabled members in our union, in the workplace and in society, including those in the WET service group. We used the year to highlight the important contribution our disabled members […]
Celebrate 2023 as the UNISON Year of Black Workers. Conference notes that we are half way through the UNISON Year of Black Workers. Over the past two years we have seen the disproportionate impact of Black workers and communities being hit particularly hard during the pandemic. Working on the front line, exposed to Covid-19, and […]
Conference notes with concern the evidence that the last few years have shown there to be an increasing deterioration in good mental health of workers across public services and including in Water, Environment and Transport (WET) workplaces. This impact was significantly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw people cut off from family, friends, and […]
Conference recognises that 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Conference recalls the repeated support our union has shown for the Agreement and the peace process in Northern Ireland. Conference notes however that at the time of writing, Northern Ireland does not have a devolved government in place. Conference further notes that […]
Conference welcomes the comprehensive Amnesty International report, Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime against Humanity, which sets out how massive seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians are all components of a system which amounts to […]
More than ever, water quality is at the forefront of public consciousness. Due to Ofwat’s regulatory approach, which prioritises value for money for the consumer, and the companies adopting risk-based strategies to deliver maximum profits for their owners, little money is spent on maintaining infrastructure. This issue has been brought to light with the increased […]