Communications to Retired Members 2006

Conference recognises the importance of effective communications in informing all retired members of information which affect their interests. These include matters in which the National Retired Members’ Committee is engaged on our behalf, in order that appropriate and timely advice may be given and support for policy generated. Equally, the views and concerns of members […]

Free Travel Pass

The Government included in the 2005 Budget, the introduction of free local bus travel for pensioners in April 2006. The implementation has been costly and complicated. In some towns, for example Southampton, free bus travel is limited to within a city boundary, with two exceptions, one to a hospital, the other to a supermarket, both […]

Local Government Pay

This conference condemns the announcement by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, that public sector pay rises will be capped at 2% over the next three years and his call for more local and regional flexibility in pay bargaining. Conference notes that: 1)Inflation is currently running at 2.6% 2)Recruitment and retention problems in local government are running […]

Threatened Hospital Closures

Many hospitals and accident and emergency departments are being threatened with closure. This will increase the distance that a lot of elderly people, who do not have their own transport and have to rely on other more costly means, have to travel to get to the alternative establishments. Also a lot of pensioners live on […]

Women and Pensions

Conference recognises the current crisis surrounding pensions and all our futures upon retirement. We also recognise that for women the situation is far worse than that of men and are, therefore, grateful for the work that UNISON continues to do with the Fawcett Society on the inequality for women in our pensions systems. Conference welcomes […]

Three year Pay Deals

Conference notes that the current Local Government three year pay deal expires on 31 March 2007 Conference further notes that the current pay deal has given us a rise of currently 0.6% in real terms. Conference believes that 3-year pay deals: 1)Weaken the bargaining position of the union and 2)Risk falling behind inflation However, Conference […]

Women and the LGPS Rule 85

This Local Government Service Group is appalled at the recent announcement by the Government to remove the Rule of 85 from the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), without proper consultation with the relevant stakeholders. The impact on many local government workers will be significant. In particular the impact on women will be enormous. This Service […]

Pay Campaign

We note the 3 year pay deal in Local Government. We also note that the ‘consultation’ period was conducted at a time when many activists were away at Conference. Some branches managed to get out the publicity and also made a recommendation to Vote NO based on information assembled by the respective branch committees. Conference […]

Shared Service Centres, Remote Processing and off-shoring – A threat to jobs and the Best Value Code on the two tier workforce

Conference is alarmed at the growing threat to jobs and the Best Value Code on the Two-Tier Workforce posed by shared service centres and remote processing of local authority services by contractors and other local authorities. Regionalisation of back office services through call centres is undermining local economies, local democratic accountability, jobs and responsiveness to […]

Substitute National Sector Committee Repreentatives to the Local Government SGE

This Conference notes that the UNISON NJC Committee, the Scottish Local Government Committee, the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum, and FE & 6th Form Colleges Committee as National Sector Committees are represented on the Local Government Service Group Executive (SGE). However at present there is no provision for these committees to send substitute representatives. This […]

Local Government Service Group Executive Report

This conference receives the report of the Local Government Service Group Executive

School Staff Terms and conditions

Conference deplores the Government’s policy of creating “independent state schools” in England which will mean that support staff in these schools, like the staff in city academies, foundation and voluntary aided schools, will not be covered by the NJC Agreement. Conference therefore calls on the Service Group Executive to campaign against all aspects of the […]

Extended Schools and Children’s Services

UNISON notes the Government’s commitment to improving children’s services across the UK. Each country is designing specific programmes promising to be designed to meet the needs of children, young people and their families. However, the preference for external providers as expressed most clearly in the Child Care Bill 2005 in England, gives cause for concern […]

Connexions Services and ‘Youth Matters’

Following UNISON’s successful campaign to prevent the wholesale abolition of the Connexions service, we welcome much of the content of the Government’s (England) Green Paper: ‘Youth Matters’ and will be closely following the Government’s follow up proposals. UNISON highlighted positive areas but also concerns in our response to Youth Matters in the autumn of 2005 […]

Housing and the code of Practice on workforce Matters

Conference notes that increasing numbers of UNISON members face transfers to private providers and Housing Associations for delivering of social housing. In England this includes Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO’s) and Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) and in England, Scotland and Wales, stock transfers to Housing Associations. Conference also notes that local authorities are obliged to […]