Conference notes the on-going cost of living crisis affecting members in all the sectors in which we organise in Police and Justice. Inflation is not falling at the rate previously predicted and the cost of food and other basic household goods is continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate. Coupled with this, mortgage costs have […]
Conference motions
In UNISON’s Year of Black Workers, Conference notes with concern the absence of Black member representation on the Police and Justice SGE and Police Staff Sector committee for England and Wales. The absence of Black representation at this level is something that must be addressed. There are many workstreams within the SGE and its constituent […]
Conference notes the plans from the Ministry of Justice to impose yet another set of top-down reforms on the Probation Service via its ‘One HMPPS’ proposals. These proposals were published less than 18 months following the reunification of probation in 2021 which in turn followed the collapse of 7 years of failed probation privatisation. The […]
Conference calls on the Service Group Executive (SGE) to explore ways in which to increase Black Member representation within the SGE including the Police and Probation Sectors. The SGE must: 1)Consider best practice with an emphasis on representation and inclusion; 2)Report back to the Police & Justice conference in 2024.
Young members are the future of our union and it is important that we provide as much support as possible within the workplace, enabling them to see the value of trade union membership within the Police Service. Not only do we need to support young members at work, we need to encourage them to become […]
Conference notes that Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections are scheduled to take place on the 2nd May 2024. Of those PCCs elected in 2021, 30 were Conservative, 8 were Labour and 1 was Plaid Cymru. Conference further notes that three police services (Greater Manchester, the Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police) are instead governed […]
Conference notes the impact that the Conservative government’s pledge to recruit 20000 police officers, known in policing as Operation Uplift, has had on the job security and career progression of police staff. Conference believes that the financial arrangements surrounding the pledge are forcing Chief Officers to place police officers into roles that would otherwise be […]
Conference believes that serving Police Staff should have same right as any member of the public to make a complaint against police if they are poorly treated or mistakes are made by Police colleagues from their home force when a staff member becomes a victim of crime or an alleged offender when off duty. Conference […]
Conference notes that since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a marked shift towards home or hybrid working in the WET sector. In pre-pandemic times, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) workers faced challenges in the workplace, including discrimination, harassment and a lack of inclusivity. While we note that there are advantages to agreed […]
Conference notes that there is a lack of diversity among field-based operational roles within the WET industries. This is a real cause for concern as it hinders the creation of an inclusive and welcoming work environment in WET industries. Field-based operational roles within WET are mostly roles that involve lone working, for example monitoring and […]
Conference notes the significant changes to working patterns and practices that have happened since the pandemic, including a large rise in remote and hybrid working, including in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) sector employers. Conference believes greater flexibility should be welcomed where this works for staff – for example, some disabled workers may find […]
UNISON has approximately 5,000 Health and Safety representatives across the union working hard to defend members’ health and safety at work. Over the past few years health and safety has emerged again as critical for protecting members’ rights at work, especially in the Water, Environment and Transport (WET) service group. However, the gender balance of […]
Conference notes the success of UNISON’s Year of Disabled Workers 2022. With the year now over, we have seen renewed focus on the experience of disabled members in our union, in the workplace and in society, including those in the WET service group. We used the year to highlight the important contribution our disabled members […]
Conference notes with concern the evidence that the last few years have shown there to be an increasing deterioration in good mental health of workers across public services and including in Water, Environment and Transport (WET) workplaces. This impact was significantly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw people cut off from family, friends, and […]
More than ever, water quality is at the forefront of public consciousness. Due to Ofwat’s regulatory approach, which prioritises value for money for the consumer, and the companies adopting risk-based strategies to deliver maximum profits for their owners, little money is spent on maintaining infrastructure. This issue has been brought to light with the increased […]