Invest Today in Energy and Skills to Decarbonise UK Homes

Conference notes that most of the UNISON membership in the energy sector plays a part in supplying energy to UK homes. This is either in retail supply, or as part of the energy distribution and transmission systems. In the last decade through countless reorganisations and general short-term thinking, thousands of jobs have been lost in […]

Women in Energy – Next Steps

This Conference celebrates the work of the energy service group in developing its ‘Women in Energy’ campaign, which included a successful parliamentary event in Westminster at which MPs, business leaders and UNISON members participated. A key outcome of the campaign was a charter of good practice, designed to enable joint working on some of the […]

Public Ownership of Retail

This Energy Service Group Conference welcomes the TUC report published in the summer of 2022. It builds on the pioneering work of UNISON in pushing the case for public ownership of energy retail. This is the part of the energy system that procures energy for householders up and down the country and is also the […]

Nuclear’s contribution to the security of UK Energy Supply and Net Zero

In 2006 a motion was carried at energy conference to promote a non-nuclear energy policy for the UK. Recognising the initiatives taken by energy companies to invest in renewable energy facilities in difficult market conditions. However, stating that much more needed to be done to encourage the commissioning of green renewable sources of energy including […]

Securing the Legacy of the Year of Black Workers in the Energy Service

This conference notes that whilst 2023 is the Year of Black Workers, and its focus of ‘Establishing Legacy to Generate Change’, this year in and of itself is not the change we seek, it is merely the opportunity to generate change. Black Workers up and down our society often find themselves in low-paid, insecure work, […]

Fuel Poverty and the need for a social tariff

Over the last couple of years, we have seen how the continued impacts of the energy crisis have affected ourselves, our members, and the customers we serve. Low wages, below inflation pay rises, substandard housing, to name a few, have seen us all struggling to make ends meet. We all know fuel poverty is on […]

Managing Difficult Customers/members of the Public.

This energy conference notes that, In the past year we have experienced a cost of living crisis which has placed many energy customers in increasingly difficult circumstances. Fuel poverty is on the rise and many households are having to choose between eating or heating. It is making people more stressed and anxious and at times […]

Tory chaos – subject to change

Conference they say a week in politics is a long time but over the last week, not mention month, the government has been in total chaos and made the UK a laughing stock. But for disabled people and our Disabled Members none of this is funny. It seemed that every time the now former Prime […]

Smashing all equality pay gaps

Conference notes that pay gaps affect large swathes of our membership regardless of service group or self organised structures within UNISON. Pay gaps measure the average hourly pay of a group of people with a ‘protected characteristic,’ such as women or Black workers, compared to the average hourly pay for men or white workers for […]

Long Covid and access to PIP for Black disabled workers

Conference notes the news article published in the Guardian newspaper on the 13th of June 2022 which stated that according to the Office for National Statistics, as of 1st of May an estimated 2 million people in the UK reported having Long Covid, as the condition is known. Conferences notes that Unison Black disabled members […]

BSL Act – Next steps in protecting and preserving our language

Conference notes that the British Sign Language (BSL) Bill, a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Labour’s Rosie Cooper MP in 2021, was passed by both the House of Commons and the Lords earlier this year before passing into law following Royal Assent. The BSL Act will recognise BSL as a language of England, Wales and […]

Disability Pay Gap

Conference is concerned about the widening disability pay gap and the impact on our Disabled Members. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that on average disabled people are paid almost 14% less than non-disabled people. Further analysis of the data shows that the type of disability also impacts on the […]

Integrated Care Systems

This conference notes that the Government’s new Health and Care Act has introduced Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) into 42 areas of England, which became fully operational in July 2022. Under the Health and Care Act, the former Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have been absorbed into the ICSs – specifically into their Boards (ICBs). Each ICB […]

Retired Members’ representation on the National Executive Council

Retired Members’ representation on the National Executive Council Conference notes that, although retired members account for approximately 10% of UNISON membership, the only opportunity they have to vote for positions outside of the Retired Members’ Organisation is in the election of the General Secretary. Conference notes there is currently no provision in the UNISON Rulebook […]

Older People Shouldn’t Have to Choose Whether to Heat or Eat

Conference notes that the cost of living crisis is having a severe impact on our older population. Conference agrees that making difficult decisions whether to heat or eat is not what our older population should be doing in a life of retirement, after paying their taxes all their working life. Conference notes that, at the […]