Recognizing Problems With Regard To Hot-Desking.

As Energy Companies strive to maximise their profits, we note with concern the use of ‘’hot-desking’’ as an Employer tool to avoid investment in work space. This is particularly true of call centre operations where staff is accommodated on a first come first served basis. However the use of hot desking is now more widespread […]

A living wage and a living pension

Conference believes that low pay is not just an issue for those underpaid, it also blights our local communities. Low paid workers often have to work long hours to support their families making it hard to spend what little disposable income they have on their children’s education, community activities and leisure or even in local […]

Organising

Coalition government policies are leading to the increasing fragmentation of public services, whether through outsourcing, personalisation or the breakup of established bargaining arrangements such as academy schools. This fragmentation leaves workers isolated in areas that can be perceived as more difficult to organise. Members working in fragmented workplaces can find it difficult to access support […]

Bargaining through austerity

We are faced with the most severe economic and political challenges for a decade. The changes being introduced into the world of work and the wholesale privatisation of public services are having a severe impact. UNISON needs to have a clear and effective bargaining agenda that challenges the worst aspects of employment trends, and protects […]

Disability hate crime

Any incident or crime, which is perceived to be motivated because of a person’s disability or perceived disability, by the victim or any other person, will be classed as “Disability Hate”. This can be committed against a person or property. This would include anyone who is targeted as a result of their physical disability, sensory […]

Attacks on facility time

Conference is concerned at this government’s concerted attacks on trade union facility time in the public sector. The United Kingdom has a proud tradition of progressing industrial relations through a joint approach with trade unions. Public sector employers recognise the worth of allocating facility time as a means of supporting trade union activists to fulfil […]

Demise of the state education system

Conference believes that this government is intent on dismantling state education in the same way they are dismantling our National Health Service. The views of support staff, parents and teachers are being ignored whilst the Coalition government’s Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, arrogantly decides that he has the freedom to overturn 150 years […]

Palestine

Conference reaffirms UNISON’s existing policy on Palestine with the following principal aims: 1)Israel to withdraw to the borders of 5 June 1967, demolish its Apartheid wall and remove all its settlements; 2)the right of Palestinians to establish a state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with its capital at Jerusalem; and, 3)the Palestinian […]

Affordable, safe, adequate, secure housing for all

Conference notes: 1)that the housing policies of the Tory led coalition government is leading to the cleansing of ordinary working people from London and other areas of high rents across the country; 2)this process was started by a local area housing allowance benefit cap which deliberately ignored actual rent levels. While the imposition of a […]

Regional and local pay threats

Conference notes with concern the continued attempts by the Coalition government at Westminster to break up national pay bargaining in the public services with attempts to introduce local and regional pay. Conference welcomes the fact that active campaigning has deterred some of the immediate threats through the pay review body system but threats remain, not […]

Pay

Conference condemns the prolonged public sector pay freeze that has drastically reduced the amount workers have received in recent years and now the punitive pay cap of 1% for two years from 2013. Conference also notes that many private companies and community/voluntary sector providers of public services have mirrored this freeze. On top of the […]

Registration fees

Conferences notes with concern the Francis Review’s recommendation that more health staff become registered with registrant bodies and is concerned that members who are suffering from the third year of a pay freeze could face an additional cost of registration fees. Conference therefore calls on the National Service Group Executive to mount a campaign for […]