Whilst UNISON can claim that we have an activist’s base of 50,000, all valuable roles and essential for creating a strong organised union, Conference notes that we have lost a significant number of experienced activists particularly our traditional steward’s as a consequence of the austerity agenda and the relentless privatisation of public services since 2010. […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that in a fair and democratic society workers have a fundamental right to form or join an independent trade union. These rights are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation convention, and the European Convention on Human Rights. Conference notes that facility time for trade union representatives has […]
Conference notes with great concern the high number of our young members experiencing bullying and harassment within workplaces. In a recent survey conducted by the Scottish Young Members Committee it was found that 75% of our young members had experienced bullying and harassment of some variety. 7% of the 75% had experienced violence in the […]
The government’s Immigration Bill is a draconian piece of legislation designed to criminalise and stigmatise immigrants and undocumented people. It is part of a wider, ongoing government attempt to appear tough on immigration to an increasingly sceptical public. While millions of people were moved after seeing the washed up body of three year old Aylan […]
Conference believes: 1)The changes within the Labour Party since the leadership election in 2015 indicate a welcome move towards UNISON’s long-held view that the Energy Industry should be brought back into public ownership; 2)There is now a golden opportunity to provide support and information to help consolidate this view within the labour movement; 3)The research […]
WET Conference congratulates the Water Industry Sector Committee and the Executive for the work done to date in trying to ensure all within the Water Industry whether directly employed or via contract are paid the Living Wage. It cannot be right whereby two people sat side by side are paid different amounts, one the Living […]
This WET Conference congratulates the Environment Agency North West branch in running a pilot course backed by United Utilities branch in aiming to address mental health issues in workplaces covered by the WET service Group. Particularly in call centre environments, mental health can be a major issue caused by unrealistic timescales placed on employees including […]
This WET Conference notes that adverse changes have recently occurred to defined benefit (final salary) pension schemes in Severn Trent, Dwr Cymru, Northumbria Water and United Utilities as a minimum. The Water Industry has been a licence to make money since privatisation in 1989 when Thatcher wrote off all the debts and remains a monopolised […]
Conference believes that the Trade Union Bill is best understood as a political attack on trade unionism. All unions will be affected by restrictions on their ability to undertake industrial action and political campaign activity, and will be subject to greater scrutiny by the Certification Officer. Public sector trade unionism will be especially hard hit […]
Composite B BLACK MENTAL HEALTH. Conference, the theme of mental health crops up a lot at these conferences and with good reason. The Mental Health Foundation which is the leading mental health research organisation in the UK states that black people from the UK are: More likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems More […]
Conference notes with growing concern the UNISON research and statistics which chart the experience of Black members under the austerity agenda. We know that Black people are more likely to be selected for redundancy, and to face workplace disciplinary procedures. These situations are compounded where the member also has a disability where the combination of […]
Recruiting and organising is a key priority for the union nationally, and conference welcomes the recruitment initiatives that the union has organised. It is vital that we continue to grow our union and it is important that all our activities take into account the very diverse workforce that provides public services. In addition, the union […]
Conference acknowledges the hard work that the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) has undertaken on the Joint Enterprise Legislation in conjunction with organisations such as Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association (JENGBA). The frequent usage of this piece of legislation remains controversial especially when the House of Commons Justice Select Committee called for urgent review […]
Conference notes: a)The rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation both in the UK and across Europe. b)The high proportion of Black workers in the UK people in the workplace who are being treated unfavourably by immigration legislation and policy. This is likely to impact negatively on their mental health and their ability to carry out […]
Conference notes that the Conservative Party’s success at the General and local elections on May 7th created further threats to public services, trade union rights and Black members’ jobs and standard of living. Conference remembers that the previous Conservative led government pursued a range of policies that have savaged public services and attacked workers’ rights […]