School Remodelling Agreement

Conference believes the National Agreement on school remodelling offered the opportunity to develop a career structure for school support staff, a long held aim of UNISON. Today many authorities have agreed new pay and grading structures, but not all. New training opportunities have been developed and many schools, for the first time, are including support […]

Further Education Pay Strategy

This group meeting notes that attempts to re-establish effective central pay negotiations in Further Education have largely failed, as a high percentage of colleges have refused to be bound by the recent 2 year agreement. This group meeting believes that it is vital that UNISON, in negotiation with NATFHE and other relevant unions, should attempt […]

Local Government Pay and Workforce Strategy

Conference notes that each Government department has been asked to develop a pay and workforce strategy. In local government, the strategy developed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Employers’ Organisation runs alongside the Children’s Workforce strategy led by Department for Education and Skills, which covers school support staff, social care, health […]

Organising in the Community and Voluntary Sector

Conference notes the National Development and Organisation Committee Report ‘Organising in the Voluntary Sector’, adopted in 2000. UNISON now has 44,000 members in the community and voluntary sector – a significant increase since the organising plan was adopted. Conference acknowledges that the growth of membership is as a result of recruitment and also the increasing […]

False Allegations of Sexual Harassment

Many of us have fought for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, as many lesbians and gay men are aware, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are, there is very little in the way of information and support. One […]

Social Services – Children and Adults

Conference reaffirms its commitment to improved social services for users and carers and to respond positively to new government initiatives based on real consultation when they are well thought out and properly funded. However, Conference believes that Ministers have convinced themselves that only radical change will achieve that improvement in initiatives such as Every Child […]

21st Century Social Work Review

Conference notes the many initiatives that have taken place and are ongoing in Scotland in relation to the development of Social Work. These include:- 1)The establishment of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and Care Commission 2)The introduction of the 4-year Social Work degree and the “fast track” schemes for postgraduates 3)The Care in Scotland […]

Pregnancy Rights

Conference notes that some women still face discrimination in the workplace purely because they are pregnant. Each year, around 30,000 working women are sacked, made redundant or leave their jobs due to pregnancy discrimination. No woman should be penalised for being pregnant. An investigation recently found that some women are unaware of their rights during […]

For A Shorter Working Week

Local government workers are coming under increasing pressure to work longer hours, often for no extra recompense, to cover for staff cuts and shortages. This is causing massive increases in stress levels exacerbating the situation and leading to further absence and staffing shortfalls. This spiral has been clearly demonstrated in the opinion polls conducted for […]

Playworkers

Conference believes that Playwork and Playworkers are having a very difficult and threatening time due to various local authorities making cuts in play provision and services at a time when they are already grossly underfunded. Playwork has been disrespected and misunderstood despite vast evidence of the great value of the work. Cuts are being made […]

Strategic Area Reviews (STARS) and FE/6th Form Colleges

This Local Government Service Group Conference notes with concern the vast amounts of money controlled by unelected, unaccountable quangos in the UK and the influence, for good or bad, on the lives of all of our members. This is perhaps demonstrated most clearly in the case of Boards of Management, which are the governing bodies […]

Agency Workers in Local Government

This Conference notes: 1)The large number of staff employed as agency staff within local government 2)That the employers in local government use agency staff as a measure to deal with what are long term recruitment and retention problems which are attributable to poor pay, terms and conditions 3)Agency staff are also used as a measure […]

Privatisation of Education

Conference notes with concern the undermining of comprehensive education and the incremental and multi faceted process of privatisation and the continued marketisation of education which has taken place since 1997 through private management of state schools; privatisation of LEA functions; and the continued use of PFI. The Government’s 5 year strategy for education will speed […]

Associate Mental Health Practitioner

This conference is becoming increasingly alarmed at the introduction of a new worker called the Associate Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP) within a large mental health trust in the South East of England. The AMHP was originally introduced in response to a shortage of registered mental health nurses in that particular geographical area but is now […]

Mental Health Services

This conference recognises that much of the current mental health legislation dates back to the 1950’s and that even the most recent amendments to the Mental Health Act in 1983 are now seriously out of date. Many improvements to mental health services, particularly over the last 5 years, have necessitated a root and branch review […]