Changes to the Constitution of the WET Service Group

Conference notes the revised version of the Water, Environment and Transport Service Group Constitution which has been circulated in the papers distributed to delegates. Conference notes that the proposed revisions to the WET constitution have been overseen by the WET Executive and in particular by a sub-group of the WET Executive which was open to […]

Rule D The right to attend and speak

Rule D 1.7.2 delete “ Deputy General Secretaries”

Rule E Deputy General Secretary

Delete E4, E4.1, E4.2 and E 4.3

The Bhopal Disaster 30 years later

Conference notes: 1)That a Scottish Trade Union Delegation to Bhopal participated in events marking the 30th Anniversary of the gas leak disaster of 1984 for which Union Carbide was responsible; 2)That Dow Chemical Company (which now owns Union Carbide) has continued to avoid accountability and evades legal liability; 3)That the people of Bhopal are still […]

Rule D Service Group Executive

Add new rule D 3.5.10: “D 3.5.10 No member who holds a seat on a Service Group Executive can hold a seat on the National Executive Council as a service group representative under Rule D.2.3 at the same time. She/he may stand as a candidate in an election or by-election for a seat on the […]

Rule D National Executive Council

Add new Rule D 2.9: “D 2.9 Meetings of the National Executive Council shall take place, so far as is reasonably practicable, in venues which are accessible to all members eligible to attend.” Renumber as appropriate

Rule D Service Group Executive

D 3.5.8 add at end: “She/he may stand as a candidate in an election or by-election for a seat on a Service Group Executive, subject to Rule D.2.3.4. If elected, she/he will be deemed to have resigned from the National Executive Council from the commencement of the period of office for the Service Group Executive […]

Young Workers Month

Conference welcomes the work of UNISON’s National and Regional Young Members Forums to raise the profile of young workers and young members through activity during young workers month, which is now held in November each year under the auspices of the TUC. Conference believes that recruiting young workers and organising young members is an all-year-round […]

Devolution: seizing the opportunities, avoiding the threats

Conference notes that issues around the scale of governance have come to the fore in political debate in recent months. Questions that have become more prominent in the political discussion include: 1)The relationship between the UK and Europe; 2)The relationship between the nations of the UK; 3)The relationship between central and local government. Conference notes […]

Ergonomic Risks to Water Field Based Employees

Recently, Thompsons Solicitors won an out of court settlement against United Utilities for an undisclosed sum on behalf of a UNISON field based Water Inspector member. For several years, this member had used his Toughbook laptop computer in his small works van receiving and sending work on a job by job basis to his central […]

Living Wage for Employers within WET

This Water, Environment & Transport Conference congratulates South East Water and its UNISON negotiators on being the first known employer in our Service Group to adopt the living wage. We call upon the WET Executive to produce appropriate communication materials for branches in the WET Service Group to use in pay claims and/or in other […]

Campaign Against Polymer

This Water, Environment and Transport Conference is aware of the ever increasing number of incidents in United Utilities and presumably other Water Industry employers involving polymer. Polymer is a very sticky substance and once it gets onto the soles of boots is not easily removed. This makes walking on certain surfaces very hazardous and increases […]

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Conference notes that the European Union (EU) is currently negotiating three free trade agreements including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The others are the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). These agreements threaten public services by harmonising regulatory standards, forcing through market liberalisation and […]

Housing

Conference recognises the massive housing crisis which exists in London and nationally. Conference condemns the UK Government’s financial policies that have focused upon “Buy to Let” as the main source of housing and rented housing in the UK. The result has been growing inequality, poverty, the break up of families and communities across the UK […]

Organising

Conference recognises that activism is at the very heart of UNISON. Activists ensure that the union is accessible to members in the workplace giving day to day support and representation to members, encouraging other workers to join the union and building our organisation. Without activists we could not function as a democratic lay member led […]