Conference is deeply concerned about recent events in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland where contempt of court proceedings have been brought against social work staff as individuals whilst acting in their social work role to fulfil their statutory duties consistent with their codes of practice. Social work members have an overriding legal duty to ensure […]
Conference motions
In the face of ever rising water costs (water as well as gas electricity, telephone etc) to members, we call upon the WET Service Group Executive in conjunction with appropriate UNISON partners to debate the feasibility and implications of campaigning for a change towards “not for profit models” or other models for our water companies. […]
Mark Duggan a young Black man and father of 5 was shot dead by armed Officers in August 2011 in Tottenham, which sparked riots and large scale civil unrest across England. Following the inquest into his killing the jury found that Mark Duggan had thrown a gun from the vehicle he was travelling in just […]
Conference notes with alarming shock the ruling by India’s Supreme Court on December 11, 2013, that same-sex conduct between consenting adults remained a criminal offence. This is a setback for the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people. The court reversed a landmark 2009 Delhi High Court decision that a colonial-era law infringed […]
Conference applauds the leadership and decision of the NJC Committee to ballot members for strike action starting on 10 July, following the derisory pay offer made by the Local Government Association on 21 March and the decisive vote by members to reject it in UNISON’s internal consultation. That every NJC region/nation returned a position to […]
Challenging Discriminatory Practices, Defending Public Services Conference as well as forming a significant part of the public sector workforce Black people are also primary users of public services. Cuts to funding are closing some services whilst putting significant pressure on remaining community and voluntary organisations supporting the Black and other vulnerable communities at a time […]
No Smears, Justice for the Lawrence Family Campaign This Conference is proud of the work and support UNISON has provided to the family of Stephen Lawrence since his murder 20 years ago. This racist murder in April 1983 marked the beginning of a long battle for the Lawrence family with the British police force, the […]
CEDAW (19 19.1,20) In July 2013 the UK Government was called to give evidence to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This requirement to give evidence happens every three years. Women’s organisations came together to produce a shadow report – that was given in evidence to CEDAW. The […]
Conference welcomes the progress of the Local Government Service Group’s Ethical Care Campaign. The campaign highlights how low wages and poor terms and conditions for workers undermines the quality and safety of the service and the dignity of service users, and urges local authorities to sign up to UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter. The Charter addresses […]
The school system enjoys some measure of protection because of its compulsory nature and political interests. Over £1 billion has been spent on the establishment of academies, with little proven worth and sparse support outside of a doctrinaire cabal. Universities enjoy the respect generated by their hallowed halls and political alumni. Colleges have twice as […]
Conference deplores the rise of the use of zero-hours contracts in local government. Zero hour contracts are a throwback to the sorry days of casual labour waiting at the dockside hoping to be picked out for work. Working hours can become unpredictable, meaning no guaranteed wage to help people pay their bills or plan for […]
Conference notes with concern the continuing threat to facility time to Local Government Branches. Such Branches now work with a plethora of employers and are dealing with the consequences of huge and unprecedented cuts to local government funding. Conference notes that a motion on Branch facility time was passed at National Local Government Service Group […]
Conference notes with concern that local government workers pay is falling behind other public and private sector workers. Many local authorities are trying to move away from NJC pay and conditions which could lead to regional or local pay. If this happens it is likely to divide UNISON members and further erode pay and conditions. […]
YOUNG WORKERS, APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES AND WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT Conference believes that there is a staffing crisis in local government, with around half a million jobs lost since the General Election in 2010 (mainly as a result of UK Government cuts in local authority funding). The cuts mean diminishing prospects for young people […]
Conference values local government’s history as an important part of the gender equality movement, acting as a key employer for women. Women make up 65% of local government staff and many of those women are low-paid and working part-time. Women are also more likely to use public services than men, and use them more intensively […]