Policing the Police – Domestic Violence Policies that Work

Conference recognises that domestic violence is not a new problem but worryingly the age-old crime is being allowed to become a forgotten statistic of the ConDem police cuts. Statistics show that cases of domestic violence dramatically increase in postcode areas where there is a lack of adequate social welfare support. Austerity measures have diminished household […]

Police and Justice Funding – 2015 General Election

Since the election of the coalition government in 2010 the police and justice budget has been disproportionally slashed which has had a severe impact on UNISON members both at work and within the wider community. Conference believes this unprecedented and imbalanced attack should not be allowed to continue and must be stopped when a Labour […]

Domestic Abuse

The recent Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary report dated 27th March 2014 into Domestic Abuse did not highlight any issues concerning the cost of service delivery around domestic abuse. The Report has failed to take into consideration Government Cuts and the impact this is having on the ability of Forces to adequately fund and staff […]

Health, Safety and Well-being of Police and Justice Members

Conference notes with grave concern the impact which the Government’s austerity measures are having on the health, safety and well-being of our members in police, probation and Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). Conference notes that: 1) 20% cuts to policing have led to the reduction of nearly 20,000 police staff across […]

Post Incident Management and the role of the UNISON Steward

Conferences notes that the growth of professionalism and membership of Police Staff across the Police Service has led to an increased risk liability in terms of litigation and investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in relation to deaths or serious injury resulting from police contact. Police staff fulfil many front facing roles such as […]

Post Incident Procedures

Conference notes that the Service Group arranged, last year, a workshop facilitated by Thompson’s Solicitors at Conference at Brighton to discuss Post Incident Procedures (PIP). This recognised the significant impact and increasing number of instances where Police Staff are involved and/or affected by these procedures in the immediate aftermath of a serious incident and in […]

Privatisation of Police & Probation Services

This Government and likely future Governments agendas for shrinking the State and privatising Police and Probation services is resulting in our members being employed by private companies. The effect of this is the fragmentation of UNISON branches in the Police & Justice sector which will make it increasingly difficult to organise, support, recruit and retain […]

Privatisation of Probation Services

Conference expresses concern at the actions of the Secretary of State for Justice, in the preparation of the probation service for sale under the mantra of Public is Bad, Private is Good. This has: 1)Seen around 50% of a public service being transferred to a CRC (Community Rehabilitation Company) and ultimately the private sector which […]

Police Performance and Statistics

The ‘Peelian principles’ describe the philosophy that Sir Robert Peel developed to define an ethical police force. This philosophy is commonly known as policing by consent. In the British model of policing, police officers are citizens in uniform. They exercise their powers to police their fellow citizens with the implicit consent of their fellow citizens. […]

Volunteer Community Support Officers

Conference is extremely concerned that Lincolnshire Police have introduced the first Volunteer Police Community Support Officers (VPCSOs) in the country. This is despite Lincolnshire Police losing 4.7% of their paid Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) during the period 2010 to 2013. Conference notes that Volunteers are not accountable to the public in the way paid […]

Northern Ireland Peace Process

Conference is alarmed at the growing levels of sectarianism and division and continued and escalating violence and intimidation which is destabilising the peace process in Northern Ireland. Conference applauds the public stance taken by the Irish trade union movement currently led in Northern Ireland by UNISON. On the 31st January trade unionists led a public […]

Stop Probation Privatisation

Conference condemns the Tory-led Coalition Government’s plans to split the probation service to create a small national probation agency for England and Wales to manage high risk cases whilst leaving the majority of the work to the private sector. The plans would see the dismantling of the 35 current probation trusts, who will not be […]

Support to Stewards in UNISON

Conference recognises that the role our shop stewards play in supporting members at work through discipline, grievance, absence procedures, changes to jobs, etc. can be very stressful on the individual stewards themselves. We recognise that stewards are often supporting members who have significant mental health issues. This can include members who consider suicide. The pressure […]

Rebuilding Local Democracy

Conference reaffirms our opposition to the sustained attack on local public services and the public service workers who deliver them – including brutal cuts to local government funding made by a Tory-led government pursuing an ideological agenda that rivals the Thatcher attack on councils in the 1980’s. Despite David Cameron saying councils were “officially the […]

Promoting Political Education and Developing Activists

Discussion, debate and learning from one another are both at the heart of trade union education and are central to engaging people in union activity. Debate on the history of trade union struggle and the impact of political and economic change on working people and on women and minority groups in particular has always been […]