Defend the Right to Strike

Conference is alarmed at the new Strikes (Minimum Services Levels) Bill for Great Britain which further attacks the right to strike and with draw your labour in this country. Conference believes that the right to strike is a fundamental human right and needs to be exercised now to win better wages and conditions in the […]

A Vision for a National Care Service

Conference recognises the need for change in social care. The current system values neither staff or service users. It creates a low paid workforce and fails to recognise the skills required for the high quality social care that our most vulnerable citizens deserve. The current system across the UK enables and promotes a market approach […]

Levelling up

Conference expresses it’s deep scepticism and anger at the Tory government’s claim that they are levelling up the country. UNISON members and the communities in which they live will know only too well that it is the policies pursued by Tory governments that have resulted in the UK becoming one of the most unequal countries […]

White Ribbon Accreditation

Conference condemns all violent and abusive behaviour including bullying, harassment and discrimination. Evidence shows that the vast majority of people subjected to violent and abusive behaviour are women and girls and most perpetrators are men and boys. Despite this gender-based violence is still seen as a women’s issue. Conference recognises that this attitude needs to […]

Post Glasgow COP26 – Decarbonising UK Public Services

Conference notes that last year UNISON supported the UK and global trade union movement at the United Nations 26th Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow in November 2021. UNISON supported the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) by participating in the UK’s observer delegation to the conference and played a successful active role […]

Trans Equality – Louder and Prouder!

The toxic debate ignited by the government’s consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act underlined the importance of our union supporting and representing trans members effectively. Attacks on trans people have escalated further over the last year. There has been a sustained attack on Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and repeated false claims that Stonewall is […]

Combatting the Rise of Discrimination and Harassment Through Education

Conference notes with alarm the rise in discrimination and harassment in society and the workplace. Reported hate crimes have risen sharply across the UK. Compared to 2019/20 Police recorded figures for 2020/21 showing a 9 percent increase in England and Wales and a 6 percent increase in Scotland. Northern Ireland saw a 6 percent increase […]

Campaigning for a National Care Service

Conference notes the severe impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has exerted on the social care sector. Tens of thousands of elderly and disabled people have died from Covid-19 in care homes and other care settings across the UK since March 2020 and the death rate among care workers has been particularly high. The pandemic has […]

Building the Union Organising for Our Future

Conference notes that UNISON membership surged in 2020 in response to government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on vital public services and public service workers. However, as home working continued and workplace access remained restricted, UNISON’s workplace activity and visibility decreased. Following an initial surge in schools’ members in January 2021 rates […]

CEDAW – Essential for Women’s Rights

Conference recognises that CEDAW, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, is significant in the international human rights framework because it is exclusively devoted to gender equality. It is one of the core international human rights treaties of the UN and it requires countries that have ratified it […]

Complaints

Conference notes: 1)That the workplace can be a very difficult situation for our members when they face disciplinary action and it can have an adverse impact on their physical and mental health and well-being. This can impact on them having unrealistic expectations as to what UNISON reps can do to resolve their workplace issues; 2)The […]

Covid Recovery and Rehabilitation

Conference notes that, over the last two years, the UK, along with the rest of the world, has faced, a crisis like no other with Covid-19. However, while acknowledging the incredible advances made by vaccination and treatment, the pandemic is not yet over and will continue to affect the daily and working lives of the […]

National Executive Council and Rule Book Commitment to Fair Representation

The UNISON rule book stipulates one of the aims of our union is to “promote fair representation in all the Union’s structures for women, members of all grades, Black members, disabled members and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) members.” As a movement built on the values of solidarity and collectivism, we know just […]

Intergenerational Commission Report

Conference rejects the proposals contained in the Resolution Foundation think tank’s report of the intergenerational Commission, chaired by Lord David Willetts (nicknamed Two Brains), titled “A New Generational Contract”. Conference further rejects the myth of generational unfairness on which the report is founded, and which masks the fact that the real unfairness is based on […]

Growing the Union

UNISON as the biggest trade union should be congratulated on achieving growth in 2018. The whole union recruitment campaign demonstrated what can be achieved when all parts of the union work together. The Northern region believes the union should commit to this type of organising approach as a regular event. A core part of our […]