Promoting Lesbian and Gay Self Organisation within the Water and Environment Service Group

Conference notes that one of UNISON’s stated objectives is to improve the flow of information to members. Conference also notes that it is often those who are most vulnerable to discrimination from both employers and work colleagues who are the most difficult for us to reach by the ‘usual channels’. Conference believes that there are […]

Offshoring

A number of water companies of water companies including United Utilities and Thames Water already have or are in the process of moving jobs such as those in call centres to offshore locations permanently depriving the local economy of these jobs. This is done as a means of minimising costs and maximising profits. This Group […]

Encouraging Self Organisation in the Transport Service Group

Conference welcomes the initiatives by the Transport Service Group Executive to foster and promote self-organisation in the Transport Service, e.g: – Lesbian and Gay members’ day Disabled members’ day Women’s seminar Black Members’ Group Conference calls upon the Transport Service Group Executive to work with the Water and Environment Service Group Executive and the Energy […]

Pensions

Against a background of the increased move within the water industry and other utilities away from final salary schemes to money purchase schemes this conference urges the Service Group Executive to work with the Energy Service Group Executive and the Transport Service Group Executive via the Business and Environment Working Group to mount a campaign […]

Work Related Driving Dangers

This Water and Environment Service Group Conference welcomes the report of the independent work related road safety task group, which confirms TUC estimates of 1,000 deaths annually in work related deaths on the road. The issue of road risk is particularly relevant for employers like United Utilities that cover hundreds of miles North to South […]

Offshoring

This Water and Environment Service Group Conference notes with concern that employers such as Vertex, part of United Utilities, Cap, Gemini, Ernst &Young and Thames Water are actively considering transferring work to India. Negotiators in such Branches are advised to seek assurances from their employers that this issue will not escalate and put more British […]

Voice Damage

The Water and Environment Service Group Conference welcomes research undertaken at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, which found that some 60% of Call Centre staff have suffered a voice disorder. Call Centres throughout Britain are now estimated to account for 2% of the workforce and are very prevalent in employers such as United Utilities. UNISON […]

Environment Agency Resources

This Conference welcomes the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive by the UK Government and looks forward to a more democratic basis for the management of the nation’s water resources. Conference endorses UNISON’s response to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affiair’s consultation on the Water Framework Directive and particularly welcomes the support […]

Privatisation and Fair Wages

Conference condemns the Government’s continuing push for privatisation of local government services. It notes that this has been accompanied by a failure to address either the weakness of the TUPE regulations or the broader problems of the two-tier workforce in privatised services. However, Conference, welcomes the Scottish Protocol on Public Private Partnerships which recommend that […]

Service Group Conference

This Conference supports the principle that consideration of prioritised motions should remain the primary function of Conference but also makes the following recommendations: 1)That participation in the prioritisation process be promoted 2)That conference time be allocated for a maximum of two external speakers of strategic importance to members in the local government service group 3)That […]

Pensions

Conference reaffirms the continued right of all our members providing local government services to a decent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Conference also calls for an adequate state pension which does not penalise our low paid members through the means testing ‘clawback’ of their LGPS contributions. Conference notes that the average local […]

Improving Local Services

Conference endorses UNISON’s support for world class public services and commits itself to working with councils to achieve that aim. However, Conference believes that the Government’s approach centres on a ‘big stick’ approach to performance management, rather than serious investment in staff and services, which hinders, rather than helps councils and staff to improve. While […]

Lessons from the 2002/3 Local Government (England, Northern Ireland and Wales) Pay Dispute

This Conference welcomes the report on ‘Lessons from the 2002/3 Local Government (England, Northern Ireland and Wales) Pay Dispute’. Conference also notes that a similar exercise took place in Scotland post the 1999 dispute. Conference calls on the SGE to ensure that its recommendations are acted upon at all levels of the union, after discussion […]

Housing Stock Transfer

Conference condemns the Government’s ‘Communities Plan’ released on 6 February 2003. This is effectively a plan to remove English local authority housing from local democratic control and transfer staff to a plethora of other employers. Conference notes that local authorities will only be able to choose three investment options: stock transfer; the Private Finance Initiative […]

English Regional Government

Conference notes publication in May 2002 by the Government of ‘Your Region – Your Choice – Revitalising the English Regions’. Conference re-affirms its general commitment to regional government and the potential offered by it to: 1)‘Draw down’ powers from central government and enhance local democracy 2)Democratise the ‘quango state’ and Government Offices in the regions […]