Local Government Service Group Executive Report

This Conference receives the report of the Local Government Service Group Executive.

Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers

Conference notes that: Negotiations on the 2003 pay increase and restructuring of the JNC pay scales are still continuing. The employer’s negotiators and some elements of the staff side are remain resistant to UNISON’s recommendations that youth and community worker’s pay should be subject to equality proofing. Furthermore the majority of workers are part-time and […]

Housing

Conference believes that the UK desperately needs investment in decent, affordable, secure and democratically accountable housing to provide first class homes for all that need them. Further deplores the failure of the UK’s respective governments to tackle the backlog of repairs to council homes. We now know that council housing in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland […]

Services for Children

Conference notes that, throughout the UK, services for children are under extreme pressure. In education, in social services, and in health care, despite the skills and dedication of hundreds of thousands of workers, the system is reaching breaking point and children and their families do not consistently receive the basic services required to ensure their […]

Violence in Social Care Field

Conference recognises that the vulnerability of children and adults with special needs or challenging behaviour is readily acknowledged by staff working in the social care field. However, Conference notes with concern both the increasing numbers of attacks on staff and also the increase in allegations of assault against staff and the lack of procedures and […]

TUPE

Conference recognises that the current TUPE regulations are flawed and are not effectively protecting our members who are transferred to other employers. Conference therefore calls on the Service Group Executive in conjunction with the General and Affiliated Political Funds to ensure that the TUPE regulations are amended to ensure that all employees who transfer to […]

Disparity Between Local Government Staff and Local Government School Based Staff

This Conference urges the Service Group Executive to enter into appropriate negotiations to put an end to the inequalities and unjust disparity between local government staff and local government school based staff. Such representation should seek the end of Local Management of Schools (LMS) and that staffing powers for schools be handed back to the […]

National Workload and Remodelling of the School Workforce Agreement

This Conference urges the Service Group Executive to campaign as strongly as it can for the adequate central government funding of the National Workload and Remodelling of the school Workforce Agreement. They believe that repeated failure to do so makes a mockery of its claims that it wants to create a new way of working […]

Continuous Service in Local Government

Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to negotiate on improvements in the current policies regarding leave conditions. At present any time served in Local Government employment is discounted if a person leaves the service. If at a later stage a person rejoins Local Government they have to start as a new employee. Our members […]

Direct Payments

We recognise the introduction of Direct Payments could have a significant impact on UNISON members employed in local authorities. Direct Payments are where social work departments are required to offer payment to allow for purchase of private services, as an alternative to direct services. This could involve loss of jobs, changes to terms and conditions […]

Negotiating an end to disability discrimination

This Local Government Conference applauds the work undertaken by UNISON’s National Disabled Members Committee to promote negotiated agreements that make provision for Disability Leave. We are concerned that there is no adequate legislative provision to compel employers who provide services in Local Government to disregard disability-related absence and the consequence of this in relation to […]

“Fresh Start” Initiative for Schools

This Local Government Service Group opposes the Government’s “Fresh Start” initiative, introduced purportedly to give support to schools deemed to be failing. The “Fresh Start” scheme is fatally flawed because it forces staff at a school to reapply for their jobs at a time when continuity of staff is most needed, for their knowledge of […]

Older Shift Workers

Conference notes with pleasure the work that is currently being done on ageism and, notes with some degree of caution, the occasional remarks from our Prime Minister and members of the cabinet about the opportunities for us to carry on working to age of 70 and beyond. Conference is also aware that within the Police […]

Police Communications and Control Rooms

Conference recalls a lengthy motion agreed at last year’s conference regarding Police Communications and Joint Control Rooms. It also recalls that the motion identified the many problems suffered by members within this area of work. With the role out of Airwaves the workload has increased without an increase in staffing. With sickness in these rooms […]

Integrated Competency Framework

Conference acknowledges the work of the Police Skills and Standards Organisation in designing the Integrated Competency Framework (ICF). The ICF combines the National Competency Framework and National Occupational Standards within the police service. It also links to the Home Office Performance Development Review (PDR) Scheme which is being implemented by police forces for police staff. […]