Conference condemns: 1)the occupation of Iraq by British and American troops arising from an illegal war; 2)the destruction of Fallujah and the slaughter of innocent civilians, the majority of whom continue to be killed by coalition troops; 3)the use of torture and the inhumane treatment of Iraqi detainees by British and American troops as instanced […]
Conference motions
This group meeting notes that attempts to re-establish effective central pay negotiations in Further Education have largely failed, as a high percentage of colleges have refused to be bound by the recent 2 year agreement. This group meeting believes that it is vital that UNISON, in negotiation with NATFHE and other relevant unions, should attempt […]
Conference notes that each Government department has been asked to develop a pay and workforce strategy. In local government, the strategy developed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Employers’ Organisation runs alongside the Children’s Workforce strategy led by Department for Education and Skills, which covers school support staff, social care, health […]
Many of us have fought for years for equality in all areas. We have had some successes, including some excellent employment laws. However, as many lesbians and gay men are aware, these laws can sometimes be used against us and when they are, there is very little in the way of information and support. One […]
Conference reaffirms its commitment to improved social services for users and carers and to respond positively to new government initiatives based on real consultation when they are well thought out and properly funded. However, Conference believes that Ministers have convinced themselves that only radical change will achieve that improvement in initiatives such as Every Child […]
Conference notes the National Development and Organisation Committee Report ‘Organising in the Voluntary Sector’, adopted in 2000. UNISON now has 44,000 members in the community and voluntary sector – a significant increase since the organising plan was adopted. Conference acknowledges that the growth of membership is as a result of recruitment and also the increasing […]
Conference notes the many initiatives that have taken place and are ongoing in Scotland in relation to the development of Social Work. These include:- 1)The establishment of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and Care Commission 2)The introduction of the 4-year Social Work degree and the “fast track” schemes for postgraduates 3)The Care in Scotland […]
Conference notes that some women still face discrimination in the workplace purely because they are pregnant. Each year, around 30,000 working women are sacked, made redundant or leave their jobs due to pregnancy discrimination. No woman should be penalised for being pregnant. An investigation recently found that some women are unaware of their rights during […]
Local government workers are coming under increasing pressure to work longer hours, often for no extra recompense, to cover for staff cuts and shortages. This is causing massive increases in stress levels exacerbating the situation and leading to further absence and staffing shortfalls. This spiral has been clearly demonstrated in the opinion polls conducted for […]
Conference welcomes the fact that at the Labour party conference on 26 September, Deputy Prime Minister said: “Public financing of housing does not treat local authorities on a level playing field and I want to see that changed and I promise to do that and look at an enquiry into it”. After the vote, Housing […]
Conference welcomes the increased profile of lesbian and gay workplace issues in the work of many parts of our union, while acknowledging that there is still much to be done. Conference recognises that UNISON’s ability to organise, negotiate and campaign effectively on equality issues flows directly from its commitment to self-organisation. Conference notes that since […]
Conference is concerned that domestic abuse accounts for at least 25 per cent of all violent crime, one in four women will experience domestic abuse at some time in their lives, and that every week two men kill their femal partners or female ex-partners. Conference welcomes the recent moves by government to raise awareness of […]
Conference believes that Playwork and Playworkers are having a very difficult and threatening time due to various local authorities making cuts in play provision and services at a time when they are already grossly underfunded. Playwork has been disrespected and misunderstood despite vast evidence of the great value of the work. Cuts are being made […]
This Local Government Service Group Conference notes with concern the vast amounts of money controlled by unelected, unaccountable quangos in the UK and the influence, for good or bad, on the lives of all of our members. This is perhaps demonstrated most clearly in the case of Boards of Management, which are the governing bodies […]
This Conference notes: 1)The large number of staff employed as agency staff within local government 2)That the employers in local government use agency staff as a measure to deal with what are long term recruitment and retention problems which are attributable to poor pay, terms and conditions 3)Agency staff are also used as a measure […]