This conference notes that last year the energy regulator Ofgem referred the big six energy companies (British Gas, EDF, E.ON, NPower, SP and SSE) to the Competition and Markets Authority. UNISON has many thousands of members working for these employers. This referral followed an assessment of the sector by Ofgem alongside the Office of Fair […]
Conference motions
Conference is concerned to hear that facility time within the Energy Sector is being diminished. This particularly affects many representatives who are call takers, this is an occupation undertaken by many disabled members, who are already struggling to meet their targets / attendance due to their disability. Declaring your disability can be a scary thing […]
Conference Notes 1)The increasing domination of the UK energy market by European based multinational energy companies and the detrimental impact this has on the influence national trade unions can bring to bear in representing their members. 2)The legal obligations on European companies to establish European Works Councils (EWC’s) to give a voice to employees where […]
Conference notes the much lower number of women who become apprentices in areas such as engineering, construction and information technology, and that occupational segregation within the energy sector is widespread. Whilst there are apprenticeships available for women, female dominated areas tend to offer lower wages and less chance of career progression, therefore women apprentices are […]
Composite A Following through on reasonable adjustments (Motions 2 and 3, Amendments 2.1, 2.2 and 3.1) This Conference welcomes the continued support at Young Members’ Weekend for a meeting of disabled young members, a process by which those members can feed their issues into the National Young Members’ Forum work plan. This Conference notes that […]
This Community Conference notes the ongoing crisis in pension provision affecting our members in Community and also that community and voluntary sector employees are among the lowest paid in society. The minimum level of auto-enrolment pensions is grossly inadequate; and employers continue to dumb down pension schemes to limit any possible financial risk to themselves. […]
Conference, a recent study commissioned by NatCen, an organisation which looks into British Social Attitudes has overwhelmingly established that racism is on the rise. While thirty per cent of Britons described themselves as having “very or a little prejudice against people of other races”, the survey also outlined that attitudes have changed since the 1980’s […]
This conference notes: That a small number of Housing associations and other Charities in our sector are openly hostile to trade unions, carry out American style anti union practices and refuse to recognise trade unions. The right of free assembly and collective bargaining is a fundamental human right enshrined in international law. Any failure by […]
Conference reiterates our belief, set out in Motion 11 at Community Conference 2010, that volunteers play a valuable role in many areas of society, including in the community and voluntary sector and in trade unions. We agreed that “Conference believes that paid staff and volunteering roles are different, and volunteering should not be used by […]
Conference notes the research carried out by NatCen for UNISON in late 2013 which showed the impact of austerity on services for LGBT people including those services delivered by the community and voluntary sector. It revealed devastating cuts to services but also showed that austerity has had a negative impact on job security, terms and […]
Conference notes with concern that many charities and third sector organisations are currently short staffed but are unwilling or unable to hire new staff members due to cost. Staffing shortages in the Community & Voluntary Sector are having a negative impact on workers lives, particularly young workers. In particular, staffing shortages can impact on: 1) […]
Conference welcomes the updated “Organising for Equality: UNISON guidelines on self organisation”. In the forward to the guidance, Dave Prentis, our General Secretary states that “Self-organisation is an essential tool helping the union to identify and challenge discrimination and build equality. It can be a way for members to get involved in the union, developing […]
Community members within the housing and associated areas, view with concern, the impact on their jobs, pay and terms and conditions, of the ongoing roll out of ‘Welfare Reform’. It has been apparent from the introduction of the ‘bedroom tax’ that the reduction on the amount of housing benefit paid to tenants and service users, […]
Conference is appalled at the cases of grooming and sexual abuse in Rotherham. While we do not know the true scale the independent enquiry into Child sexual exploitation in Rotherham led by Alexis Jay gives a conservative estimate involving approximately 1400 children, adding: “It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that […]
Conferences is concerned to hear that homosexuality is criminalised in 76 countries in the world, including 40 African countries, and society persecutes and discriminates against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) people in even more countries. In July 2011 it was reported that the Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma had spoken out against discrimination towards […]