Conference notes the growing retreat by employers from the provision of good quality occupational schemes. This includes not only the closure of final salary schemes, but also moves to downgrade schemes by worsening accrual rates, increasing employee contributions and raising retirement ages. Conference believes that unless the above trends are reversed, the results will be […]
Conference motions
2004 is likely to be a significant year in determining the future governance of England as three regions hold a referendum on directly elected assemblies. UNISON has consistently opposed, and continues to resist, the reorganisation of local government that will take place following a yes vote. Over the past year UNISON has resisted the government’s […]
Conference notes that substantial progress has been made in recent years in improving UNISON’s membership base and organisation in the community and voluntary sector. At the end of 2003 UNISON membership in this sector had reached in excess of 42,000, a 40 per cent increase since the adoption by Conference of a national organising plan […]
Conference applauds the work of the union in campaigning against the introduction of foundation trusts and highlighting the marketisation of the NHS. Conference applauds in particular the sustained campaigning through the Labour Link which led to the overwheling rejection of foundation hospitals by the 2003 Labour party conference. Conference also recognises the important role played […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Conference condemns the introduction of intolerant and mandatory sickness absence sanctions such as the Bradford score, when used as part of managing attendance policies. The Bradford score can be set at any trigger point, whereby after a number of days off or a number of spells of absence a management action occurs. This crude approach […]
This Conference is concerned that women in predominately low paid jobs in Local Government are being denied access to work life balance/flexible working. Work/life balance is about introducing greater flexibility in the way people go about their work. Balancing work and family is one of the most important issues facing women in the 21st century. […]
This Conference: 1)Congratulates UNISON on the campaign against the two-tier workforce which culminated in the introduction of the Workforce Matters Code (March 2003) 2)Notes with alarm that companies who are attempting to take over residential care homes are looking at ways to avoid the code as they can only make profits by operating with a […]
Local government in the last few years has witnessed some key changes in how services are being delivered. Best Value has forced local authorities to review each of their services. Many have remained in-house but many have used the opportunity to transfer services to different providers. Large scale transfers have been witnessed in Lincolnshire, Blackburn […]
Conference notes that: 1)the UK continues to face a crisis in its pensions provisions for the future; 2)despite government initiatives such as raising payments to the poorest pensioners, free eye tests and the winter fuel allowance, too many pensioners are still condemned to live and die in poverty; 3)there are widespread moves in private sector […]
Conference notes the introduction of the pensioner credits scheme and notes that more than one million pensioners have not made application for such credits. The low take-up rate of these means-tested benefits was thoroughly predictable Conference believes that restoration of the state pension scheme to its former monetary value is the proper way forward and […]