Conference condemns the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition for the widespread and unprecedented destruction of public services that has resulted from the savage and unprecedented reductions in central government funding to local government, health, education, police, probation and the rest of the public sector. Public sector workers have borne the brunt of this in job losses, the […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that there are thousands of UNISON members working across the energy sector. Conference also notes that many energy companies have recently made staff redundant and there are plans for further redundancies and the off-shoring or out sourcing of jobs. Conference understands that in order to maintain union density and income, we will need […]
Conference recognises the importance of getting UNISON’s campaign messages out to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, particularly as we approach the next general election. Conference notes the Tories’ success in convincing many of the lie that their devastating cuts to jobs and public services are fair, necessary and good for the economy. They […]
Mental health problems affect about one in ten children and young people. Mental illness come in may forms including depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives at home and at school, college or university. It can lead to self harm and suicide – particularly […]
Conference is concerned that in the 21st Century some employers are still using draconian sickness absence polices, such as the Bradford Factor, which we know can discriminate against disabled workers. Absence from work due to a disability should be recorded separately and treated differently to non-disability related sickness absence with a separate policy explaining the […]
We note with concern the ever-increasing amount of work moved offshore by the energy utilities. In November of last year, npower confirmed it would cut nearly 1,460 “back office” jobs in the UK, or 15% of its staff in this country, and move them to India. It is outsourcing a further 540 British call centre […]
This Conference welcomes the work being done by the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group (BEEOWG) to promote the equalities agenda. Equalities have long been a priority for the Energy Service Group. Within the Energy service group we have a long and proud tradition of fighting for equality for all our members. Over the […]
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 services while putting significant pressure on those remaining staff, as well as community and voluntary organisations supporting Black people and other vulnerable communities at a time when they […]
Conference welcomes the groundbreaking report into the effects of austerity on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers and service users, including local government workers, commissioned by UNISON’s National LGBT Committee and funded by the General Political Fund (GPF). The research, carried out by the well respected independent social research organisation NatCen, includes evidence of […]
Conference welcomes the move from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to invest more resources into the regulation of health and social care services. It also welcomes the return to a specialist form of inspections which UNISON has long called for. Although this change in inspection methodology is welcome it is vital that regulation of hospitals […]
Conference believes UNISON must have a vision for the future of local government services as well as pay and conditions and that achieving workforce involvement and buy in to the development of that vision will be crucial. Conference is concerned that there is no real mention of the workforce in the Local Government Association (LGA) […]
Conference recognises the important work that Union Learning Representatives (ULR’s) do throughout the UK in both in promoting learning at work, signposting members towards further education, advising on basic skills and working with employers to increase the skills of the workforce. The main role is helping individuals to overcome barriers which may prevent them getting […]
Conference condemns the continued attack on public sector workers. In the last two years, over 631,000 jobs have been axed with a further 400,000 due to go before the 2015 general election. Women make up a large proportion of public sector workers and in some sectors twice as many women as men have lost their […]
Conference notes the continued threat to Sure Start through imposed budget reductions nationally. There has been more than 500 Sure Start Children’s Centres closed, most during the first two years of this Coalition Government. While the Coalition Government’s continued austerity cuts are the catalyst for local councils to review the future of Sure Start Children’s […]
Conference notes with dismay that cuts to pay and terms and conditions in local government are hitting women hardest across the UK. Local government is a highly gendered workforce – seventy-six per cent of National Joint Committee (NJC) workers are women, over half of all jobs are part-time and women carry out 90% of those […]