Conference is only too aware of the ongoing mismanagement of water companies’ finances. Water companies need to be more transparent with how their organisations are being financed. A number of large Water & Sewage Companies have been with the begging bowl to OFWAT, the Government’s Water Regulator, for help yet are still taking out millions […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that due to ever increasing expectations on our members more and more work is done out of normal working hours and in some cases routine inspections on wastewater treatment works is becoming the norm in hours of darkness. Of particular concern to our members are those sites with inadequate lighting, security or access […]
Conference is only too aware that having trained reps to support and guide our members during sickness meetings is essential in obtaining a good outcome. Conference will further acknowledge that supporting our disabled members requires a further detailed knowledge of the Equality act 2010. Some managers in the water industry may be competent with day-to-day […]
Conference commends the work carried out by local government service group members working in care across the UK despite the many continued challenges and pressures that they face. Conference recognises that despite the differences in the delivery of social care throughout the UK, UNISON’s own National Care Service campaign represents a clear vision for the […]
Conference notes that in December the Department for Education (DfE) announced that funding to local authorities in England for supported early years places would increase by an average of 3.4% for three and four year olds and by 4% for two year olds. However, some local authorities will only receive less than a 1% increase […]
This conference notes that: 1) This Tory government is once again seeking to make public sector workers pay for the latest economic crisis by restricting public sector pay even further when the cost of living continues to rise; 2) Prior to the latest cost of living crisis, pay across local government had fallen in real […]
Despite colleges educating 1.7 million students each year, further education is all too often overlooked by the government. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has clearly shown that colleges lost out more than other education sectors during the austerity decade from 2010. Despite claims funding has increased, college spending per student in 2024 will […]
Conference notes that UNISON has declared 2023 the Year of Black Workers (YofBW2023). 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 […]
This conference notes that the ambitious environmental rhetoric used by all governments in the UK stands in direct opposition to the long-term fall in resources and support for the country’s environmental protection agencies which regulate and enforce environmental legislation. Why action is needed: For over a decade, our environmental protection agencies have been subject to […]
The toxic debate ignited by the United Kingdom government’s consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act underlined the importance of our union, including branches in the Water, Environment and Transport service group, supporting and representing our Trans members effectively. Attacks on Trans rights have escalated further in the past year. There has been a sustained […]
Conference notes that the proposed revisions to the WET constitution have been overseen by the WET Executive and in particular by the policy sub-group, which is made up of representatives of all WET sectors. The key changes to the constitution can be found on: a. Page 2, sub-section 3.3: Sector seats reduced to 3 instead […]
Conference recalls that the “Net Zero” motion passed at the 2021 WET conference called for the service group to work with all appropriate stakeholders in UNISON to promote policies that support a net zero strategy, including proper funding for a ‘Just Transition’ and a significant increase in employment in WET alongside new skills and training […]
Conference notes that UNISON has declared 2022 the year of disabled workers, which is a great opportunity for WET branches to organise, bargain and campaign on the issues that matter to our disabled members and to increase recruitment and retention as a result. WET branches can use 2022 to highlight the experience of our disabled […]
A number of posts within the Environment Agency have been transferred to the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) over the past few years. Also, some new Environment Agency vacancies are advertised as Defra posts. UNISON has strong representation on behalf of our members in the Environment Agency. 1)We are entitled to elect representatives […]
Conference is deeply concerned at the violence, including threats and physical violence, that is shown towards those working in local government. The latest Health & Safety Executive statistics show that around 307,000 adults of working age in employment experienced violence at work, with an estimated 688,000 individual incidents of violence. According to the Labour Force […]