Renationalisation

Conference notes that UNISON is the largest staff trade union in the energy sector and has many thousands of members working in customer and retail operations in the big six energy suppliers. Conference further notes that this union is proud of its members in this area and recognises the services they provide to customers day […]

Delivering the Promise of the Good Friday Agreement

Conference notes that 10th April marked the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, over 40 years of our trade union campaign for peace and justice and 25 years of unswerving support for that campaign from UNISON, our National Executive Council, our regions and branches. Conference welcomes that the Agreement has led to relative peace […]

Municipal Energy Companies

Conference notes the recent growth of municipal energy companies serving consumers across the UK, including recent announcements by the Scottish Government and the Mayor of London to create new energy companies. Robin Hood Energy, founded by Nottingham City Council, has a mission to tackle local fuel poverty and is the most successful so far in […]

Working people already paid for the financial crises; they should not pay for Brexit

The Conservatives’ self-imposed Brexit deadline is fast approaching but they remain distracted by internal divisions and ideological entrenchment, which is in real danger of pushing the country towards a cliff edge. In February 2018, Cabinet ministers have lined up to produce a series of ‘major speeches’ on Brexit that has only succeeded in highlighting how […]

Npower and SSE Merger

UNISON Energy Conference notes with cautious concern the proposed merger of SSE and Npower which will see the Big 6 energy suppliers become the Big 5 and the merged company holding 12.7 million customers combined. Conference we note also the SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies claiming that the merger will create a new model – […]

Support Leeds H21 Project – Hydrocarbon

UNISON welcomes the partnership between UNISON employers Northern Gas Networks and Leeds City Council together committed to pursuing the conversion of Leeds to a 100% hydrocarbon city. Converting the UK gas grid to hydrogen will be a major step towards meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets. Currently, over 30% of all UK carbon emissions come […]

Race Equality Act – How far have we come since 1968?

On 8 December 1965 the first Race Relations Act came into force in Britain. Prior to this, it was legal to discriminate against people because of the colour of their skin, and this act was the first in many equality legislation to promote non-discrimination and equality, the Act was amended in 1968. This year is […]

Schedule E Political Fund Ballot

Schedule E: Political Fund Ballot 2. Delete: “ “the Certification Officer” means the Certification Officer for Trade Unions and Employer’s Associations whose address is 22nd floor, Euston Tower, 286 Euston Road, London NW1 3JJ.” And replace with: “ “the Certification Officer” means the Certification Officer for Trade Unions and Employer’s Associations whose address is Certification […]

Rule J The Political Fund

Delete the current Rule J and replace with: “J The Political Fund The rules of the Political Fund set out in sections 1-2 below apply to all members regardless of when they joined the Union. The particular rules which apply to members who joined the Union before 1st March 2018 are set out in section […]

Local Government and Devolution

Conference notes the ongoing devolution agenda across the UK nations – at national, regional and local government levels. While there are some welcome national government developments in relation to the Trade Union Act, health and social care integration and the treatment of the public service workforce in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there are concerns […]

Youth Services Essential in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland youth services are provided by a combination of statutory and voluntary resources. A budget of £38 million from the NI budget and administered by the education authority underpins these resources. UNISON members working across both sectors have been involved in discussions responding to a major review of youth services. Statutory services are […]

Protecting Education Support Workers’ Terms and Conditions Post Brexit

Along the 310 mile soft border on the island of Ireland a number of Northern Ireland schools attract pupils and workers from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In some circumstances the journey to and from their workplace is only a few miles. UNISON members working in support services in these schools have […]

Disabled Workers at the Sharp end of the Housing Crisis

Conference notes the depth and scale of the housing crisis the UK is facing, a crisis that has been gathering for decades but which has reached a crescendo with the Conservatives’ ideological war on council housing. Thousands of UNISON members delivering housing services have seen their employers change from local authorities to housing associations and […]

Zero Hours and Black Workers

In recent news it has reported that unemployment has hit a record low. What these statistics do not report is that a large proportion of this is because of the increase in zero hours contracts. Employers have increasingly been turning to zero hours contracts as part of the general attack on staff terms and conditions […]

Black Workers and In-work Poverty

Conference notes that despite efforts to bring further equality into society, evidence shows that Black workers are still being held back in the work place. Inequalities in employment and income persist, and for many Black workers, this impacts upon their standard of living and increases their experience of living in poverty. According to the Department […]