Health and Safety

Conference notes with concern the lack of guidance and advice for branches relating to health and safety issues for police staff. More and more of our members are becoming ‘front-line staff’ yet information on health and safety for police specific issues is rare. The police service is going through many changes and branch resources are […]

Short -Term Funding

Conference notes the continued short-term funding for police staff for initiatives such as PSCOs and Custody Officers. Conference also notes that the short- term funding for Volume Crime Investigators is soon to run out. The reluctance of the Home Office to recognise that successful initiatives should be permanently funded is unacceptable. Continuance of this stance […]

Workforce Modernisation

Conference understands that the Home Office wishes to engage with UNISON and other stakeholders over a police pay and workforce strategy for England and Wales. Conference notes that this engagement may now take place in the context of the PSC Pay and Reward Review. Conference confirms that it wishes to see the following problems being […]

Negotiating an End to Disability Discrimination

This Police Staff Conference applauds the work undertaken by UNISON’s National Disabled Members Committee to promote negotiated agreements that make provision for Disability Leave. We are concerned that there is no adequate legislative provision to compel Police Authorities to disregard disability related absence and the consequence of this in relation to sickness absence procedures. There […]

Older Shift Workers

Conference notes with pleasure the work that is currently being done on ageism and, notes with some degree of caution, the occasional remarks from our Prime Minister and members of the cabinet about the opportunities for us to carry on working to age of 70 and beyond. Conference is also aware that within the Police […]

Police Communications and Control Rooms

Conference recalls a lengthy motion agreed at last year’s conference regarding Police Communications and Joint Control Rooms. It also recalls that the motion identified the many problems suffered by members within this area of work. With the role out of Airwaves the workload has increased without an increase in staffing. With sickness in these rooms […]

Integrated Competency Framework

Conference acknowledges the work of the Police Skills and Standards Organisation in designing the Integrated Competency Framework (ICF). The ICF combines the National Competency Framework and National Occupational Standards within the police service. It also links to the Home Office Performance Development Review (PDR) Scheme which is being implemented by police forces for police staff. […]

Winning the Organised College

This Conference notes that UNISON’s primary objective is recruitment and organisation. It also notes that membership in colleges is less than 30% of its potential. The campaign to achieve implementation of the two-year deal in further education presents an ideal organising opportunity. It also requires college-level negotiations on elements of the agreement, such as job […]

Contractor Deaths on Water Sites

This Water and Environment Conference is very concerned about the decline in safety standards on sites such as those managed by United Utilities whereby three sub-contractors (including one aged 17) have died since Autumn 2003″. We call upon UNISON’s lay and paid officials on the (National) Water and Environment Service Group Executive with responsibility for […]

Devolved Government and Transport

Conference notes the statement by Alistair Darling, MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, which foresees the Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly and Regional Assemblies in England taking more responsibility for transport. Conference welcomes this development which is an important step in delivering better and more integrated public transport services. Conference acknowledges, however, that this development […]

Review of Lay Structures

This Conference recognises the need to constantly review our organisation to ensure that the needs of members are met in the most effective way. As part of the current review, Conference instructs the Transport Service Group Executive to work with the National Executive Council to ensure that there is one seat on the National Executive […]

Partnership Fund

This Water and Environment Service Group Conference notes the existence of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Partnership Fund which is established to jointly improve workers lives where partnerships exist. We note that both Thames Water and United Utilities jointly with the Trade Unions have recently been successful in obtaining £50K and £45.5K respectively […]

Paying for Water Services

This conference recognises that a new basis for paying for water services should to be found to replace the existing outdated rateable value based system. Conference believes that any new system has to ensure that sufficient income is generated to maintain a properly trained and adequately resourced workforce. Conference further recognises that consumers will expect […]

Review of the National Lay Membership Structure

This Conference notes the actions taken to date by the Executive regarding the review of the Energy, Transport and Water & Environment service group structures at national level. Conference notes the outcome of the consultation exercise with all three service groups and in the light of this agrees that further work is necessary subject to […]

Public Service – Public Transport?

This Conference notes that the Tory legacy of privatising local bus services in 1986 and the deregulation of rail services in 1994 has failed the travelling public of Britain miserably. This Conference calls upon the Transport Service Group Executive, in liaison with the NEC, to lobby the Government to reverse this failing Tory legislation and […]