HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Conference – with the publication of the Casey review, and with the first national Police National Database (PND) vetting of all staff and officers recently completed, the omission of the requirement to declare masonic membership still manages to duck the bullet. All staff and officers have to regularly complete vetting forms and declare membership or […]

MARCH WITH PRIDE

Conference notes with concern the decision in 2022 by London Pride that the Metropolitan Police could not march at Pride in uniform, and the decision in 2023 by Brighton Pride that Kent Police would not be welcome to march this year. However, Conference also notes the Baroness Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police reported “institutional […]

ORGAN DONATION

Conference notes that many thousands of people are waiting for life changing and life saving organ donation. Since 1 June 2023, the law around organ donation has changed from an opt-in to an opt-out system. It is hoped that this change will increase the number of organs donated. Whilst the majority of organs used for […]

AN ANTI RACISM CHARTER FOR ALL

Conference notes that on the 7th June 2023 the East of England Probation area signed up to UNISON Eastern Region’s Anti-Racism Charter. Whilst the Probation Service has a comprehensive work plan in relation to actions identified in a joint union employer survey on race, the feedback from members has been that the actions have taken […]

AGENCY STAFF CONTRACT REFORMS

Evidence has emerged that the Probation Service has spent and continues to spend millions of pounds on agency staff. Whilst it is acknowledged that agency staff are an asset that is vital in managing the work of the service, it is noted that a significant proportion of the money spent on their employment is taken […]

POLICE STAFF GRIEVANCES

Conference notes that analysis and scrutiny of grievances raised by Police Staff is not currently undertaken by the Service Group Executive (SGE). Conference believes that the SGE should have an overview of key issues raised by police staff through the grievance process to inform the national bargaining agenda. The SGE should have access to data […]

A balanced Energy System fit for the future, employing our members in good jobs!

Conference notes that in November 2021 the UK hosted the COP 26 in Glasgow. At this COP the UK again committed itself to achieving Net Zero by 2050 which itself is a statutory target which the UK Government should be working towards achieving. UNISON energy workers know already that achieving Net Zero will be hard […]

Cost of Living Crisis and its Impact on Energy Workers

Conference notes that as a result of rapidly increasing wholesale gas prices, the price of energy for consumers and businesses in the UK has also significantly increased. Further it notes that the energy price cap which regulates the default tariffs has been increased by some 54% by the energy regulator OFGEM. This is the tariff […]

Encouraging STEM subject study to increase numbers of women working in technical roles in Energy

Research shows that at GCSE level engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects has a broadly similar gender split. At this level female students are achieving higher or equal average A*-C grades compared to males. At A Level this drops off with a higher number of males taking up STEM subjects, for example […]

Increasing diversity within Energy

Conference picture someone working in the energy sector, and you are likely to mentally summon up an image of a white, middle-aged male. Although a lack of diversity isn’t unique to energy, it is an issue that needs solving. While the situation is improving, it’s not changing fast enough, recent events have rightly woken up […]

Robust Green Skills Training for employees in the Energy Sector

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 […]

Deficiencies in the protection of operational staff in the water sector from exposure to COVID-19

This conference notes that the health, safety and wellbeing of workers providing services in the Water, Environment and Transport Sectors � as well as in the other more prominent sectors such as Health – has been paramount to UNISON during the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to be into the future. The Water Industry Sector […]

Policies on dealing with abusive customers in call centres

Conference notes that many energy members work in call centres and operational centres where they take calls from operational colleagues and customers. While most callers are reasonable, there is always a proportion that are unreasonable and some who are extremely abusive. In workplaces with generally high levels of stress, this can be intolerable. People who […]

Feeling Good in the WET Service Group

Conference welcomes the fact that more conversations are being held around the issues of mental health, however, for many it is still a taboo subject and for others a painful subject. This however does not stop the effect it has on people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, beliefs. Mental health does not discriminate and […]

The continuing drift from RPI to CPI and the impact on pay.

This conference notes the continuing desire by employers in the water sector to move away from RPI and embrace CPI when negotiating pay. Excuses abound, from the employers, to explain the reasoning to change to CPI. One of the main excuses being given, is the regulator Ofwat’s changes to the method used to increase consumer […]