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 Self […]
Conference motions
This Conference recognises that on 2 February 2017, an announcement was made by Sir James Bevan, (Chief Executive, Environment Agency) that the Environment Agency’s Corporate Services teams will transfer to Defra and that this transfer is expected to be completed by the end of September 2017. Many of the employees involved in this transfer are […]
This conference notes the bullying and harassment survey conducted by UNISON’s national young members’ forum in young workers month 2016. Highlights of great concern in the survey with respect specifically to young members in local government were: 1)One third were unaware of whether their employer had a policy on addressing bullying and harassment; 2)One quarter […]
Conference notes that the combined assets of workplace pensions in the UK stands at £3 trillion and that 99% of that money is managed by commercial asset managers. The most shocking consideration in this process is that no pension fund either defined benefit or defined contribution can tell scheme members how much it costs to […]
Conference notes that despite their often bland phrasing and heavy cosmetic decoration with proposals for improved integration of services, collaboration between providers and with commissioners, and public health measures which we could all endorse, the 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) in England represent proposals for over £24 billion of cuts, “efficiencies” and “savings” by […]
This Conference believes that the failure to develop a safe, affordable and reliable integrated transport system means that not only is the UK adversely affected economically, but it also leads to unsafe working conditions for our members. This Conference believes that as well as commercial pressures to cut costs, the customer experience is often extremely […]
Conference notes that the Equality Act provides protections against discriminatory treatment based on the concept of Protected Characteristics. Currently workers with a terminal illness are not classified as having a Protected Characteristic and therefore have very limited legal protection against employers dismissing them due to illness. Conference notes that employers are therefore free to dismiss […]
M 6 Delete existing title and replace with “M6 Data protection” In M 6.2 insert “and requirements” after “data protection principles” Delete existing M 6.4 and replace with: “6.4 a member seeking to enforce his/her rights should address them to the Data Protection Officer. Any such requests that are received by a branch or union […]
C 5.1 Insert “or by using the prescribed on-line system for joining” after “sign a prescribed form of application for membership” At the end of C 5.1 add “Membership shall commence on the date details of membership are entered into the membership records system.”
Much of the water industry does not directly deliver key services, but instead contract them out to private sector organisations. The kinds of services contracted out include meter reading, water pipe maintenance, water testing and facilities services. For those employees who are transferred to a new employer this can mean huge uncertainty over their jobs […]
Conference notes that despite efforts to bring further equality into society, evidence shows that Black workers are still being held back in the job market. The amount of Black members holding senior posts still remains low while unemployment amongst Black people remains high, particularly amongst young Black people, and Black workers are also more likely […]
Conference notes that the Policing and Crime Act became law on 31 January 2017, despite concerns raised by UNISON and other trade unions. This Act allows fire and rescue authorities to be abolished and replaced by Police and Crime Commissioners. Across England, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will be able to take on the responsibilities […]
Mental health issues are reported to affect one in three of us throughout our lifetime. Although statistically women are more likely to develop common mental health issues than men it is an issue that impacts all of our members. A recent survey also suggests that there has been a marked increase in mental health issues […]
Conference understands the large scale of harm to members caused by work related stress, including sickness and serious illness, and the personal cost to members and their families, and even premature death. The 2016 TUC survey of safety reps confirmed that stress was the biggest health and safety concern and that it is getting worse, […]
This conference believes that the government proposals for school funding reform in England are flawed, unfair and fail to address the funding crisis affecting schools. The DfE proposals will only result in a flat cash settlement for schools and takes no account of the increasing costs for schools resulting from from inflation and increased staffing […]