Probation: Stop the Sell Off

Conference condemns the decision of the Coalition Government to proceed with the split of the Probation workforce into the National Probation Service (NPS) and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) on 1 June. Conference notes that the split was undertaken despite: 1)A formal request from the probation unions to the Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary […]

Defend National Terms and Conditions

Conference welcomes the work done by UNISON, and sister unions National Association of Probation Officers (Napo) and GMB, to negotiate a staff transfer and protections agreement for probation members, that protects national collective bargaining into the National Probation Service (NPS) and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). Conference also acknowledges the protections for the continuation […]

If It’s An Arrestable Offence, Arrest!

Conference will note the increasing demanding nature of police work as a result of austerity related funding cuts, staff shortages and redundancies that have resulted in the expectation of those left behind to do more with less resulting in the workplace being a more stressful environment. Conference will further note that as a result of […]

Reform of Police Staff Pay and Conditions

Conference notes that: 1)The Police Staff Council has ensured 18 years of industrial harmony in police forces in England and Wales. 2)This positive industrial relations climate has not come about by chance, but is the product of hard work on the part of all stakeholders on the Council. 3)The Police Staff Council Handbook (amended in […]

College of Policing Must Be Independent of Government and Police Leadership

Conference notes that UNISON: 1)Has so far supported the creation of the College of Policing as an independent professional body for all those working in the profession of policing; 2)Is represented on the College Professional Committee; 3)Has declined a directorship on the College Board on account of concerns over the potential conflict of interest between […]

Police and Justice Staff are Worth It

Conference welcomes UNISON’s 2014 ‘Worth It’ campaign to make sure that the pay of public sector workers stays at the top of the agenda in the run up to the 2015 general election. Police staff, probation workers and Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) employees have all seen the purchasing power of […]

Transfer of Police Staff from Wiltshire Police to Wiltshire Council and other Strategic Partners.

At conference in 2013 you will recall a motion was passed highlighting a situation that was developing in Wiltshire Police regarding the transfer of Police Staff to Wiltshire Council. Conference will remember that the proposal was to transfer staff from the following departments of Wiltshire Police; Project Management, Information Services & Technology, Estates, Finance, Legal […]

Police Reform and Force Mergers

Conference notes with massive concern the continued savage cuts of public expenditure to Scottish policing as a result of the Scottish Government’s dogmatic pursuit of its artificial manifesto pledge of an additional 1000 Police Officers as well as the brutal unachievable savings they trumpet will be made of £1.5 billion in 15 years. This political […]

Community Stewards: Training and Support, Negotia

Community Stewards: Training and Support, Negotiating, Bargaining and Facility Time Conference recognises that trained stewards are vital to the success of building and recruiting strong UNISON membership within the community sector and to ensure that its membership is fully able to represent its members. Also many groups of workers in the Community Service Group are […]

Campaign for a Living Wage for All

This Conference notes: • The living wage is now set at £7.65 an hour and £8.80 in London. • By comparison, the national minimum wage is £6.31 an hour for adults and £5.03 for those aged 18 to 21. • That the national government and administrations of devolved nations pay their staff the living wage. […]

Community Sector TUPE Transfers and LGBT Members

Conference notes that TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection in Employment Regulations) has maintained hard won employment terms and conditions and the protection from discrimination in the community sector, with sound public sector equality policies and procedures. TUPE means that the new employer “steps into the shoes” of the old employer and is bound by the […]

Training

Conference notes a key finding of the report in the abuse at Winterbourne View Hospital was that the staff were not properly trained. Training is a key issue for Care. Often training is not provided, or is adhoc and/or inadequate. Furthermore, increasingly, more and more training is delivered as online courses whereby it is not […]

Campaign Against Supporting People Funding Cuts

Conference currently local councils are setting budgets with substantial cuts in “Supporting People” funding. This is having a devastating effect on our member’s terms and conditions; removal of post TUPE enhancements for weekend working, Bank Holiday and Night Waking, sickness absence entitlements reduced from six months full pay, six months half pay to two months […]

LGBT Self Organisation in the Community Sector

Conference notes the importance of involving members of self organised groups in community branch activities including recruiting, organising, bargaining and negotiating. Members of self organised groups are a valuable resource to the community service group with experience and knowledge of how employers’ policies and procedures can fail to be inclusive. Conference further notes that while […]

Zero Hours Contracts

This conference notes the insidious spread of zero-hours contracts in the community and voluntary sector, and in housing associations in particular. UNISON’s survey of Community members found that 9% were on zero hours contracts, but it is likely that this underestimates the true scale of the problem as it is hard to organise workers on […]