Blue light proposals – a threat to police staff jobs

Conference is concerned that the Government proposals on emergency service collaboration is a threat to the further erosion of Police Staff roles. The initiative seeks to collaborate all ‘blue lights’ through the sharing of facilities, control rooms and support services and poses a further threat to Police Staff jobs. The work has started in many […]

Volunteers – Policing on the Cheap

Conference welcomes and commends the work done by the Service Group Executive over recent years to oppose volunteers as a replacement for the committed, experienced, well trained and accountable police staff lost due to the brutal budget cuts imposed since 2010. While the introduction of volunteers has not been consistent throughout all forces, what is […]

FIGHT AGAINST FUEL POVERTY

Conference notes that many pensioners in the UK are losing their lives through cold. It has recently been revealed that 43,000 pensioners lost their lives last year, largely assumed to the bad weather. Yet not one politician from any party uttered a word about this national disgrace. We repeat not one of our so called […]

ELDERLY CARERS

Conference is concerned that hundreds of thousands of carers over retirement age receive no Carers Allowance in recognition of their efforts in caring for their sick, frail or disabled family members, friends or neighbours. In a press release of May 2016, Age UK estimates that carers aged over 80 now number 417,000, most of them […]

CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE LONELINESS IN OLDER PERSONS

Conference notes that there is growing evidence of elderly people suffering from loneliness. By deduction, this will include a large number of UNISON retired members. Recent research has found:- • 17% of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week and 11% are in contact less than once […]

RETIRED MEMBERS – A VALUABLE RESOURCE

Conference notes that under National Rule C.2.6.3 retired members are excluded from holding office within a branch, other than within the retired members’ organisation. When branch officers retire, at present, their “stewardship” retires with them. Many retired members have a wealth of information and experience and, in this age when people are living longer, branches […]

I’LL ONLY BE A MINUTE…….

This Conference recognises this phrase – ‘I’ll only be a minute’ as the most common reason abled bodied motorists give for parking in ‘disabled’ designated parking bays. For those motorists, or their passengers, who have mobility issues and who rely on theses spaces to be able to access work, services and shopping etc. the lack […]

PENSIONS LAW – DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

Conference believes that the most iniquitous aspect of the Government’s “Agenda for Public Service Pensions” [as far as our retired members are concerned] is its intention to grasp control of, and undermine the security of, pensions already in payment. At a stroke, their intended legislation on the Local Government Pension Scheme a)removes any effective influence […]

MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS

This Conference recognises that good mental health support for members in UNISON is of vital importance and congratulates Cymru/Wales Region on their initiatives and development of Mental Health Champions. UNISON Cymru/Wales has been active on mental health for some time. Last year, with the help of Mind Cymru and Time to Change Wales, Cymru/Wales Disabled […]

Sector Committees for the National Probation Service and the Community Rehabilitation Companies

Conference notes that: 1)The existing national negotiating machinery for the Probation Service is now under review following the split of the Service into the National Probation Service and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs); 2)The National Probation Service (NPS) is a civil service employer covering England and Wales with a workforce of 9,400 staff; 3)UNISON […]

Black worker representation in police and justice workforces

According to police force recruitment statistics widely published in January 2016 a white applicant to the police force has a better chance of getting a job than a Black applicant in more than 2/3rds of UK forces. Further, Theresa May, Home Secretary stated that ‘diversity profiles’ showed no force had a Black representation reflecting the […]

Powers for Community Support Volunteers and Police Support Volunteers

Conference notes with concern the proposals in the 2016 Policing and Crime Bill to award significant police powers to community support volunteers and police support volunteers, by: a)creating two new designated volunteer roles – Community support volunteer (volunteer PCSO) and Police support volunteer; b)creating a reserve list of police powers to be exercised only by […]

TWO TIER PENSION SYSTEM

Conference notes the two tier pension system that came into effect in April 2016 following the introduction of the new state pension (as discussed at Conference 2015 and embodied in Motion 5 as passed). Conference 2015 instructed the National Retired Members Committee, and called on the National Executive Council, to campaign to right this injustice. […]

Health and Safety in the probation service

Conference notes with concern that the new contracts in the Probation Service agreed by the Ministry of Justice do not take account of many health and safety and data protection issues. Members working in the service report that: a)the layout of the workspace leads to interviews with clients being conducted in open-plan offices, with no […]

An inflexible police service

The College of Policing guidance on flexible working states that “Policing is a demand led, 24/7 service where its people are key to its successful delivery. By providing flexible working arrangements for staff, organisations are shown to have a more motivated and productive workforce…. it is about gaining a balance that provides an opportunity for […]