The fight for decent working hours has always been at the heart of union campaigning. Trade unions fought for an eight hour day in the 19th century and a two-day weekend in the 20th. In the 21st, it is time to take the next step and win a four-day week with fair pay for all. […]
Conference motions
Government proposals in effect will ban the right for workers to raise genuine concerns concerning pay and working conditions through strike action. The new law is insisting on Minimum Service Levels, during strikes in areas where our members work. Ambulance, Border control and some passport workers will be affected, but this law can be extended, […]
Conference notes that in January 2024 UNISON joined the protest in Cheltenham against the Tories’ new Minimum Service Levels Act 2023, and a day of historical strike action took place in Northern Ireland. Conference notes that the last year has seen a high level of organising and bargaining in UNISON. The ‘One UNISON’ campaigns of […]
Conference is appalled at the ongoing funding crisis in local government, which is now resulting in an existential threat to the future of many councils across the UK. Extensive UNISON research from last autumn revealed that councils across the UK were facing a funding shortfall of £3.56billion in 2024/25 and a cumulative funding gap of […]
Police and Justice staff are well established members of our union and have been for decades. Police and Justice members work in very difficult circumstances both protecting the public and enforcing the law. The needs of these members are no different to that of other service groups. These members support our union and act with […]
Conference affirms that employers have a legal duty to protect both the health, and the safety of their employees in relation to the activities of the employer. Conference notes that work related stress is defined as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. Stress is a […]
The question of the constitutional future of the United Kingdom is becoming more prevalent amongst society and UNISON members. In the previous decade, the UK has been embroiled in constitutional arguments, the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 and Brexit in 2016. However, it is not only these era defining events that call into question the […]
Conference remains extremely concerned about the UK government’s approach to providing redress for the victims of the Windrush scandal. Conference notes the findings of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review led by Wendy Williams which concluded that the UK Home Office had shown “ignorance and thoughtlessness” on race throughout the scandal, that immigration regulations were tightened […]
Conference is appalled that two women are killed each week from domestic abuse and many women and children are stuck in abusive situations due to the fact that they cannot access a refuge space. The reduction in refuge provision for women and children throughout the UK is not only adding to the death of women […]
Conference notes that we are halfway through celebrating the Year of LGBT+ Workers and welcomes the opportunity that this provides to promote UNISON as the union for LGBT+ workers, raise awareness of LGBT+ rights throughout the union, challenge discrimination, and recruit and activate LGBT+ members. The year highlights the important contribution our LGBT+ members make […]
Despite UNISON’s continued efforts to tackle racism in public service workplaces, continued reports from the Police, Probation, NHS, and others demonstrate that significant changes are still required before equality for Black workers will ever materialise. Conference condemns the slow pace of change in too many workplaces and the exclusion of Black workers from discussions about […]
Conference is deeply concerned about the exploitation of migrant workers in the UK, particularly in the social care sector. Acute underfunding, a refusal to address workers’ pay and the absence of meaningful reform has left the social care sector in crisis. Care workers are overworked, underpaid and struggling to plug the gaps in a sector […]
A decade of Tory austerity has starved our communities of essential services, eroded the resilience of the public sector and removed vital safety nets. Long term underfunding and cuts to key public services has made communities less safe and left vulnerable people without the help they need. Conference asserts that the most effective and least […]
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Trade unions are indebted to the young people across the globe whose campaigning has brought this vital issue to the top of our political and bargaining agendas. The legally binding commitment to get public services to Net Zero by 2050 is essential but inevitably comes with increased pressures on all services to make the necessary […]