Oppose the TU Bill

This Energy conference believes that the Trade Union Bill represents the biggest assault on working people’s rights in living memory and represents an unashamed and deliberate attack on public sector trade unions in particular. The Bill affects almost every aspect of trade unionism in England, Wales and Scotland. It shifts the balance of power in […]

Developing Pension Capacity

Conference notes that defined benefit (DB) pension provision in the sector has been in decline. The closing of DB schemes and replacing them with defined contribution (DC) has in many cases been to the clear detriment of our members. Conference welcomes efforts already made to support pension developments within energy employers more actively and to […]

Energy Policy in the UK

This conference believes that the Government has failed to address significant issues relating to the future of energy supply in the UK. Despite repeated warnings by a range of stakeholders including UNISON, the Conservative Government’s inability to strategically plan for a low carbon energy supply future leaves the country in a perilous position going forward. […]

Fracking

Conference notes: Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as ‘Fracking’ is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out at the head of […]

Mental health at work

Conference, Disabled members are concerned over how mental health is addressed in the work place, what is in place to help those with mental ill health while they are at work? Many of our members may already have a mental health condition or may have mental health conditions triggered by stress, stress can be from […]

Mental Ill- Health, Mental Health Related Illnesses and Awareness Monitoring.

The problems of mental ill-health and mental health related illnesses are some of the biggest difficulties facing our members at work today. When jobs are under threat, pay packets are being frozen and workloads are increasing, the mental health of employees is always likely to be affected. Over the last two decades, we have all […]

CAMPAIGNING AGAINST LOW & LOWER PAY.

UNISON remains committed to gender equality within all our pay structures and we commend the highly successful on-going campaign financed and delivered by our organisation to achieve this end. At the same time low pay and lower pay appears to have been largely ignored by UNISON as a priority of our members and most development […]

Negotiating workplace domestic abuse policies

Conference notes that the majority of victims of the most severe forms of domestic abuse – and therefore those who are most affected – are women. In the energy service group women account for around 75% of the membership, and this is therefore an issue which has a significant impact on our members in the […]

The impact of state pension changes on workers in the Energy sector

Conference notes that from 6 April 2016 the Basic State Pension and Second State Pension (S2P) will end and be combined/ replaced by a new State Pension. The majority of members in the energy service group are currently paying reduced rate NI Contributions because they are in a work place pension scheme that is better […]

Public Ownership of Energy Utilities

Conference believes 1)The changes within the Labour Party since the leadership election in 2015 indicate a welcome move towards UNISON’s long-held view that the Energy Industry should be brought back into public ownership. 2)There is now a golden opportunity to provide support and information to help consolidate this view within the labour movement. 3)The research […]

Adding insult to injury – the autumn budget statement

Conference notes with concern that the 2015 Comprehensive Spending Review, published on 25 November 2015, does nothing to improve the financial stability and position of women, who have so far borne the brunt of the government’s austerity measures. A detailed assessment by the Women’s Budget Group, which was critical of the government’s failure to conduct […]

Tampon Tax – plugging the bleed in funding of women’s services provision?

On 25th November 2015, the Chancellor of the exchequer delivered his autumn statement to the House of Commons. Within this statement he raised the issue of the 5% VAT on sanitary protection being diverted to fund women’s services. It became clear that Will Quince MP had made the suggestion for this. Conference acknowledges the ‘creative’ […]

Rights of Working Age Disabled Women

Conference believes all disabled women should be supported and enabled to get or maintain gainful employment and career progression. There are numerous layers that impact upon disabled women when attempting to get or maintain gainful employment. These include: • Caring responsibilities (children and older relatives); • Accessible support to manage their disability(ies); • Financial constraints […]

Removal of Housing Benefit for Young Women

Conference believes that it is a human right for everyone to have access to a safe, secure and affordable home. Conference also believes that this Tory Government live in some alternative idyllic world where all young people live with their parents until they move onto university, before getting a job and moving into their own […]

It needs to stop

Conference welcomes the motions passed on domestic violence and abuse at both women’s and National Delegate conferences 2015 and believe they give the union a great platform to campaign and fight for women’s rights. Conference is aware that this work is ongoing for the union and the national women’s committee, and calls upon the national […]