Conference believes migrant workers are essential to the community sector, yet many face difficulties such as: – Restrictions on changing employers; – Fear of dismissal or deportation for speaking out; – Barriers to training and progression; and – Low pay and undervaluation. Migrant care workers employed under the Health and Care Worker visa are tied […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that precarious employment is common across the Community service group – from care workers on zero hours contracts, to voluntary sector workers on rolling temporary contracts. This has a negative impact on all workers, leaving them unable to plan for their future, or even budget week to week. This affects young workers in […]
Conference expresses its concern and dismay at Reform UK’s recent electoral gains, which signal a significant political shift with potentially serious implications for the community sector. Over the ten Local Authorities Reform currently controls, UNISON community has thousands of members who will be directly affected by the policy aims of Reform UK—whether through their commitment […]
Conference notes that Community Sector (CS) members make up a substantial proportion of UNISON membership, yet many CS members are not supported by specialist branches. Conference believes it is vital that all members are properly represented in UNISON and should be well supported to participate in UNISON democracy, attend conferences, and receive the full benefit […]
Conference notes that workers in housing associations deliver vital services — providing homes, support, and community safety for millions of people — yet pay and conditions across the sector vary widely. In recent years, many housing associations have imposed below-inflation pay awards, despite reporting healthy financial surpluses and maintaining high executive pay levels. The cost-of-living […]
Conference notes multiple UNISON reps in the Housing Association sector are reporting a rise in workplace violence incidents across the UK. Data collected by UNISON consistently shows worrying levels of violence, harassment and sexual harassment at work and that many workers see violence and harassment as being “part of the job”. In October 2025, UNISON […]
Conference recalls the passing of Motion 13 “Supporting regional development in Community” at 2023 Community Conference and Motion 15 “Meeting the organising challenge in Community” at 2025 Community Conference and that work on progressing these decisions remains ongoing. Conference notes that many Community members are placed in Health and Local Government branches and that support […]
This Conference Notes: 1)That small charities play a vital role in supporting vulnerable communities, often filling gaps left by underfunded public services. 2)That recent government fiscal policies, including austerity measures, changes to tax relief, increase of Employers National Insurance and reductions in grant funding, have disproportionately affected small charities. 3)That inflation, rising energy costs, and […]
Conference notes that voluntary sector services are subject to frequent commissioning and recommissioning through competitive tendering, resulting in widespread use of short-term contracts, often lasting one year or less. This instability undermines service delivery, staff retention, and the wellbeing of service users. The prevalence of short-term contracts creates insecurity for staff, as individuals seek stable […]
Conference notes the research undertaken by the Charity Finance Group amongst charity leaders in March 2025 following the announcement that the rates of Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) would rise by 1.5% in April 2025 which outlined that: 1)81% of respondents said that the rise will have a negative impact on their ability to offer […]
Conference notes the introduction of a Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) for adult social care in England has been recognised as a major step toward tackling the chronic low pay, poor conditions, and high turnover that have plagued the sector for years. Scotland and Wales will also have FPAs, but these may be broader in scope, […]
Conference notes that there has been a growing interest in merger among voluntary and community organisations. The number of charity mergers increased by 31% last year according to research by the Eastside People’s Good Merger Index. Researchers suggest that more charities may be exploring mergers due to mounting financial pressures, recruitment challenges, and shrinking budgets […]
Conference notes that UNISON has declared 2026 the Year of Green Activity (YoGA) and that the Community Service Group plays an integral part in raising awareness of the impact of climate change, the consequent emergency and the work needed to be undertaken within our sectors to address this. Conference further notes the devasting consequences of […]
Conference notes that migrant workers working across the third sector face workplace discrimination and exploitation linked to their visa status. The complexity of the UK’s immigration system means that different visa types can lead to different challenges for members and branches. Many migrant workers across public services have been affected by changes to the skilled […]
Conference notes that a number of community organisations have funding and commissions from the National Health Service (NHS). As part of the contract compliance, they are encouraged to adopt the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES), which are vital tools in addressing systemic inequalities faced by our Black and disabled […]