Occupational Pensions

Conference notes the growing retreat by employers from the provision of good quality occupational schemes. This includes not only the closure of final salary schemes, but also moves to downgrade schemes by worsening accrual rates, increasing employee contributions and raising retirement ages. Conference believes that unless the above trends are reversed, the results will be […]

Organising in the Community and Voluntary Sector

Conference notes that substantial progress has been made in recent years in improving UNISON’s membership base and organisation in the community and voluntary sector. At the end of 2003 UNISON membership in this sector had reached in excess of 42,000, a 40 per cent increase since the adoption by Conference of a national organising plan […]

Regionalisation

Conference notes that it is still very unclear on how regionalisation will impact on policing and police forces. Conference is extremely disappointed that UNISON appears to have forgotten the Police Service Group and only appears to have concentrated on its impact on Local Government. Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to produce a comprehensive report […]

Shift Patterns

Conference is concerned at the continued difficulties faced by branches in negotiating variations to shift patterns for our members. It is recognised that there are innumerable versions across different forces and that they vary in their effectiveness in meeting the needs of our members. In order to enable branches to be more effective, Conference instructs […]

Outsourcing of Forensic Services

This Conference is concerned that the Home Office is continually eroding the forensic services provided by police staff as a cheaper option. Conference recognises that this is not the case. UNISON believes that this is a core public service to which the principles of direct accountability apply. As such, this service must remain wholly publicly […]

Civilianisation Not Privatisation

Conference supports fully the Civilianisation programme within the Police Service. However, when does ‘civilianisation’ become ‘privatisation’? Forces are more and more informing their police authorities, communities and staff that it is civilianising police officer posts. However, police staff and communities do not see these roles being advertised; this is due to the real fact that […]

Independent Police Complaints Commission

This Conference has grave concerns that some forces are insisting on the implementation of the IPCC without a formal agreed national protocol covering the application of IPCC procedures to police staff. This Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to: 1)ensure a national protocol is correctly negotiated and passes through our governing body, the PSC; 2)work […]

Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners

Conference is appalled at the pressure being put by scientific support managers on our members to become members of this Register. Conference is further concerned that some UNISON members/branches may not be aware of who the Executive Body is and what qualifications they hold to assess, investigate and sanction our members. Conference notes with disappointment […]

Removal of Intolerable Sickness Absence Sanctions

Conference condemns the introduction of intolerant and mandatory sickness absence sanctions such as the Bradford score, when used as part of managing attendance policies. The Bradford score can be set at any trigger point, whereby after a number of days off or a number of spells of absence a management action occurs. This crude approach […]

Investment in Public Transport

This Conference welcomes recent initiatives by the Government to invest in public transport within West Yorkshire, such as YellowBus, Yorcard and real time information, but notes with great concern that this is insufficient to redress the Tory legacy of inadequate investment in public transport provision. This Conference also notes that despite the recent problems with […]

Government 10 Year Transport Plan – The Role of the Workforce

Conference welcomes the Government’s decision to review progress on achieving the aims of its 10 Year Transport Plan which, so far, has failed to produce any major improvements in public transport provision, significantly reduce road congestion and reduce deaths and casualties on out roads and railways. Conference notes that policy makers often overlook the role […]

Restoration of the Value of the State Pension

Conference notes the introduction of the pensioner credits scheme and notes that more than one million pensioners have not made application for such credits. The low take-up rate of these means-tested benefits was thoroughly predictable Conference believes that restoration of the state pension scheme to its former monetary value is the proper way forward and […]

Pensions

Conference notes that: 1)the UK continues to face a crisis in its pensions provisions for the future; 2)despite government initiatives such as raising payments to the poorest pensioners, free eye tests and the winter fuel allowance, too many pensioners are still condemned to live and die in poverty; 3)there are widespread moves in private sector […]

Police Community Support Officer Funding

This Conference is aware that Government funding for the Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) employed by many police forces across the country is shortly to come to an end. Some police forces have indicated that they may not be able to maintain the levels of PCSOs that they currently employ when this funding runs out. […]

Service Group Executive

At the Service Group Seminar at Croyde Bay in 2003, the Service Group Executive were asked to report in full on the progress made towards achieving the goals of Composite C of the Service Group Conference 2003. Conference is dismayed that no report was given. This Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to prioritise the […]