Conference notes the alarming spike in knife crime in 2018. Knife crime in London has risen by 16 percent in the past two years and over 50 people were killed by stabbings and shootings in the first 3 months of the year. Conference notes that the furore over the ‘knife crime epidemic’ served to demonise […]
Conference motions
Conference notes the charter sets minimum standards to protect the dignity and quality of life for care clients and the workers who care for them. Conference notes that over 40 councils across the UK have signed the charter. Conference believes the charter is a positive development for UNISON members, and is a useful tool for […]
Conference notes that the government drive to increase the quality and quantity of apprenticeships in the UK is failing. In 2017 the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced – a charge of 0.5% of the salary bill of large employers which must then be claimed back to fund apprenticeship provision – simply isn’t being used by enough […]
Conference notes that education is the key to improving life chances. Yet, to be able to take advantage of the many opportunities that education can bring, young people need to be able to afford basic resources to enable them to fully participate. The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was a means-tested allowance of between £10 and […]
UNISON Wales has been highlighting the damage being done to our communities through our Fair Funding campaign and Wales audit of austerity work which has highlighted that councils have lost over 28,000 jobs since 2010. The budget given to local authorities is an investment in local services, in prevention and early intervention work which ensures […]
As part of UNISON’s campaign against austerity cuts, UNISON Renfrewshire has been working on a project of income generation and job creation to improve services for the local community. The first part of the project, the creation of resident’s funeral scheme, has been approved by Renfrewshire council. This scheme would reduce the average cost of […]
This service group conference notes with deep concern the disastrous effects of massive funding reductions for social care services, with spending on these services being forecast to fall below 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020. The appalling effects of these cuts are increasingly experienced on a daily basis by UNISON members working in […]
This local government service group conference recognises that high housing costs and affordability are among the biggest issues facing the workforce in the south east and nationally, affecting where members can live, what they can access and what they can afford. According to the National Housing Federation, there was a shortfall of over 85,000 homes […]
Disability leave is time off from work for a reason related to someone’s disability. It is an example of a reasonable adjustment which local government employers have a duty to provide to disabled staff under the Equality Act 2010. It is different to sick leave – in many cases the worker is not actually sick […]
Since 2010 local government has faced swingeing budget cuts as part of central government’s austerity agenda. This has led to many councils introducing hot-desking in order to reduce their premises costs. Workers no longer have a fixed desk but instead have to find an empty desk every day. Conference is concerned about the impact of […]
Trade union facility time is one of the basic and most vital building blocks for local trade union organisation, and it is also of enormous benefit to employers. Since 2010, many local authorities have cut facility time significantly, sometimes driven by ideology and sometimes by cuts in funding. Conference notes that in December 2018-January 2019 […]
A recent UNISON survey of staff who provide pastoral support for pupils raised significant concerns at the impact of cuts to services. Support staff are often trusted adults and confided in by pupils about a huge range of welfare issues, from parental separation, bereavement and caring responsibilities to bullying, eating problems and suicidal thoughts; regardless […]
Local government is a diverse network of roles and services that all work together to keep our local communities going. Local government workers have a vital role to play in this, working tirelessly to support the public in their everyday lives. They are true local champions, sometimes working ‘behind the scenes’ to make sure our […]
Conference is deeply concerned at the state of our public library service. In 2017-18 alone, spending by local authorities on public libraries fell by £30 million. The service lost 712 full-time equivalent posts and suffered a net loss of 127 service points. Volunteer numbers rose to a staggering 51,394 volunteers putting in 1,780,843 hours. Our […]
Conference deplores the use of zero hour contracts in local authorities, schools and in private contractors. Zero hour contracts represent an incredibly insecure form of employment, and are a major cause of in-work poverty. Employers can cancel shifts at short notice, or not award shifts in the first place. Many zero hour workers don’t know […]