Conference notes that ambitious targets for moving to a low carbon industry are essential in the context of climate change and our country’s commitments to the Paris agreement. Taking responsibility to limit temperature increases and avoid catastrophic global warming will require significant transformations across our economy and industry. Conference believes that Just Transition must take […]
Conference motions
Conference is concerned at the rapid and consistent drop in membership numbers being experienced in some branches. Conference believes that this is in part due to frequent voluntary severance exercises and people not being replaced when they retire. However, it must be noted that much of this is due to the fact that many Energy […]
Disability leave is time off from work for a reason related to someone’s disability. It is an example of a reasonable adjustment which Energy 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 – […]
UNISON is committed to fair representation and proportionality (Rule D4.1). However, within the WET sector we do not see enough Black members represented at branch, regional and national committee level. Raising the profile of Black activists within Water, Environment and Transport employers and increasing the number of Black members involved at branch, regional and national […]
This energy conference welcomes the work UNISON is doing to promote the potential of Hydrogen in the energy system. This includes helping to get the all-party parliamentary group for hydrogen set up, engaging with key stakeholders and informing members of the key issues. We recognise that while it is imperative that we meet and surpass […]
Conference notes that energy workers are employed by many different private sector companies as a result of privatisation and fragmentation in the industry. While privatisation has been good for senior executives and managers who have benefited from the industry profits generated, the same cannot be said for the majority of the workforce. The gap between […]
This Conference notes with alarm the stance that the Environment Agency took in imposing the 2018 Pay Award on its employees, following the announcement by all trade unions who consulted their members that there was overwhelming rejection of the 2018 Pay Award. The employer took little time to consider the news of rejection and simply […]
As staffing levels plummet in both the public and private sectors, UNISON representatives in the areas covered by the WET Service Group find themselves dealing with more and more cases including those of stress and mental health. This in turn puts pressure on representatives themselves who get personally involved in some such cases and require […]
Conference notes the success of WET specific Health and Safety seminars in 2016 and 2018. Due to the ever-changing Health and Safety risks experienced by UNISON members employed within the Water, Environment and Transport Service Group, we call upon the Service Group Executive in conjunction with UNISON’s Health and Safety Unit to convene a similar […]
In the unexpected heat of the long Summer of 2018, workers employed in the Water, Environment and Transport Service Group experienced difficulties undertaking their normal roles with inadequate provision provided by employers. Whilst mains fed water coolers are becoming more common in our workplaces following a long campaign by our Service Group within UNISON other […]
Conference notes the continual increase in the number of UNISON members working on phones in contact centres in employers covered by the Water, Environment & Transport Service Group. Currently, United Utilities only provides audio tests for employees reaching the upper noise limits as recommended by the HSE such as operational employees in hearing protection areas. […]
Conference in the climate of the rise of the far right, Brexit and the real impact of racism in our society we know that racism is real. UNISON’s previous objectives included the statement ‘including Racism’, but at the 6th December 2018 NEC meeting the NEC approved the 2019 objectives with this wording removed. Conference, the […]
Conference welcomes the work initiated by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group to make UNISON’s organisation, events, policies, systems and good practice advice inclusive of non-binary members. Non-binary people are people whose gender identity is not solely male or female. They may define themselves as both, neither or something different. While non-binary people […]
UNISON has about 63,000 young members, of whom approximately 8 percent are Black members. However, there is a noticeable and worrying shortage of young Black members and activists in UNISON. More needs to be done to recruit young Black members and to encourage them to become involved at all levels of the union. Young Black […]
Conference notes that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) self-organised group (SOG) works with inclusive, umbrella definitions of bisexual and transgender. Its bi network is for all members who feel attraction to more than one gender. Its trans network is for all types of self-identifying trans people and for members whose gender identity does […]