CHIROPODY

This conference calls upon the National Retired Members’ Committee and the National Executive Council to make representations to government on behalf of pensioners protesting against a reduction in the chiropody service through the closure of chiropody clinics.

SINGLE SEX WARDS

It has been more than ten years since we were promised that all hospital wards would be ‘single sex’. We are now advised that this will now not be possible and that hospitals will be encouraged to work towards providing ‘single bays’ We recognise that whilst everyone is concerned by this decision we consider that […]

Local Strategic Partnerships

Conference notes that services delivered under the auspices of “Local Strategic Partnerships” (LSP’s) will have an increasingly significant impact on UNISON members in many Service Groups; but it will impact in particular, and sooner, on members in Local Government because of the leading role local authorities have in LSP’s and the planned shift in funding. […]

Comprehensive Spending Review and Local Government Funding

Conference welcomes the increased flexibility that has been given to local authorities to focus their spending on local needs. The conversion of many ring-fenced grants in both England (through Area Based Grants) and Scotland (as agreed in the Scottish Local Government Concordat) to general funding is welcome. The burden of assessment of council services is […]

Local Area Agreement and the Race Equality Duty

Conference notes the significance attached to Local Area Agreements (LAAs), new ‘partnership’ structures, and the significant role that they are playing in the delivery of public services by bringing together public, private, private and voluntary sectors. Conference believes that this has an impact on Local Government UNISON members working in these sectors. Conference is concerned […]

The ‘Public Sector Worker’

Conference notes that the Local Government Employers have introduced the idea of the ‘Public Sector Worker’ in recent discussion documents. They have suggested that there should be core pay and conditions, providing for equity and protection for employees moving between sectors and in to shared service arrangements. The idea is also being discussed with the […]

Organising apprentices

This Conference notes the Prime Minister’s announcement on 28 January 2008 that he wants to see one in five young people on apprenticeships within 10 years, in a push to win the global “skills race”. He also announced that as a first step the number of places on offer for 16 to 18-year-olds would be […]

Women in Local Government

Public sector workers are increasingly more likely to be women and to work part-time than private sector workers. In 2004, 65 per cent of public sector workers were women, compared with 41 per cent of private sector workers. Around 30 per cent of public sector workers worked part-time compared with 24 per cent of private […]

Local Government Efficiency Reviews and Disabled People

Disabled members are reporting a detrimental impact on their working conditions as a result of action arising from efficiency reviews; there is little evidence of employers meeting their legal responsibilities to undertake Disability Equality Impact Assessments when shared services or outsourcing are being contemplated. Branches should be aware of the wealth of arguments within the […]

Casualisation of the Local Government Workforce

This Conference is concerned about the impact on the terms and conditions of members working in social care outside of direct local authority provision. We are also concerned that the rapid growth of agency, self employed, and community and voluntary sector provision will lead to worsening standards of employment. Disabled members report that: 1)Directly employed […]

Structural and Organisastion Change – The Local Government workforce

The local authority workforce faces an uncertain and difficult future in the face of continued pressure for “efficiency savings”, ongoing restructuring of local authorities, outsourcing, “shared services”, the impact of local area agreements of Councils’ financing and service provision, as well as radical changes in education and social care. UNISON’s briefing activity around “Making Local […]

Social Work Practices and Local Authority Services for ‘Looked After Children’

This Conference notes: 1)The passage of the Children and Young Person’s Bill through Parliament with it’s proposal for the piloting of independent ‘Social Work Practices’ to care for ‘Looked after Children’. That ‘Looked after Children’ are a very vulnerable group of young people who are cared for by the state either due to them being […]

Maximising the Impact of Workforce Development Plans on Local Bargaining

The Green Book advises all local councils to draw up Workforce Development Plans – Pt 2 (3) – and gives extensive practical guidance as to how these should be drawn up (4.8), including the role of the trade unions in developing and implementing these plans. Workforce Development Planning is now a key issue for local […]

Adult Social Services

Adult social services face a period of enormous change. The tight financial regime in which councils are operating is subjecting adult social services to major budget reductions in many authorities and the Government proposals to promote personal care budgets and self assessment means services are under threat. Members working in adult care could face redundancy […]

Social Care Services

Conference notes the continuing and increasing use of the independent, community, voluntary and private sectors to provide social care services and recognises that this threatens local government member’ jobs and terms and conditions in the following ways: 1)privatisation and externalisation of services leading to transfer of staff or redundancy; 2)competition from the independent and private […]