WORKERS ON ATYPICAL CONTRACTS

Conference notes the extensive use of atypical contracts in local government, and that young workers are over represented amongst those on atypical contracts, including term time working and agency working. Conference reaffirms the concerns expressed by Local Government Conference 2004 about the position of Term Time workers. Term Time workers also lose out through low […]

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME

Conference notes the current position in respect of the “New Look” Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and in respect of protection for those adversely affected by the withdrawal of the “Rule of 85”. This conference condemns the fact that the union’s position on the 85 year rule moved from full protection to securing transitional protection […]

Continuous Service

This Conference is dismayed by the lack of success in negotiating a change in rules regarding continuous service. A motion was unanimously passed three years ago and yet still people who leave and come back to Local Government have to start building up service time to count for extra annual leave from scratch. We urge […]

Sickness Absence Procedures

Conference notes that: 1)employers are adopting increasingly Draconian procedures which allow for an increase in the disciplining and dismissal of genuinely ill employees; 2)these procedures sometimes fail to abide by equalities legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act; 3)sickness absence can often be traced back to the workplace; 4)employers’ actions such as holding vacant posts, increased […]

Employment Rights

Conference welcomes the new individual employment rights for 2007 but believes that there needs to be a fresh push for an increase in collective trade union rights. In particular, Conference notes the extension of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) regulations for undertaking with greater than 100 employees and the following parts of the […]

Public Services

This is a time of unprecedented change in public services. The government’s reform of our public services seldom translates into anything other than a liberalisation agenda, with markets opened up to the private sector on the false premise that there will be more choice for the ‘consumer’, namely user of public services. The evidence of […]

Psychometric Testing – a Barrier to Discriminate Black People

UNISON welcomes the efforts made so far by councils, the National Health Service, and other public service providers in Great Britain, who have committed themselves, to fully implement and mainstream equality. In claiming equality of opportunity and fairness, many public service providers use psychometric tests as part of their selections and recruitment process for technical, […]

Support for Black Members’ and Activists

Conference reaffirms UNISON’s reliance on active stewards/officers in all workplaces, covering all groups of members, for organising and delivering for members. Therefore support given to stewards/officers to enable them to do their job must be a central priority at all levels within the union. It is noted that such volunteer representatives give considerable commitment, often […]

Claiming our Children from the Streets

With increased cuts in youth services and the impact this has on young people in inner city communities’ Conference notes with concern the level of youth offending and gang cultures. Conference notes with great concern the most recent spate of black on black violence manifesting in street robberies assaults and in some instances the murder […]

International Work

Conference welcomes UNISON’s high priority given to international work. This is consistent both with our commitment to oppose war, poverty, oppression and exploitation wherever it arises. However, in a world dominated by the ‘globalisation of capital’, it is also a matter of vital importance to all our members that conditions of workers around the world […]

Migrant Workers

National Black Members Conference welcomes the overwhelming support expressed at UNISON National Delegate Conference 2005 for Composite G, which called for an amnesty for illegal workers to end exploitation. We note that the successful composite dealt with the vital need to organise migrant workers, and also called upon the Government to grant an amnesty for […]

Challenging Racism: Challenging Islamophobia

Conference notes that data from the census reveals that Muslim communities face disproportionate disadvantage compared to other groups: the highest rate of unemployment, the poorest health, and the highest levels of disability. This was confirmed in TUC’s 2005 report which highlighted that 69% of Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities live below the poverty line. Research by […]