Free Travel Pass for those aged 60

We ask Conference to consider the impact of rising travel costs on older men and women not yet in receipt of a free travel pass due to their eligibility rising with state pension age. Many are experiencing loneliness and isolation, which in many cases affects their health and well-being. Even men and women with a […]

National Insurance and the state pension

The National Insurance scheme was established in 1948 to provide unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, retirement pensions and various other benefits to employees and pensioners in the United Kingdom (UK). From the contributions an initial allocation is set aside for the National Health Service (NHS) and the remainder held in the National Insurance Fund (NIF) which […]

Committee for Climate Change report and its impact on energy workers

This conference notes that on 2nd May the Committee on Climate Change set out how the UK could achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This landmark report by a government body has provoked a massive national debate in the last month and promises of immediate government action. Conference believes that UNISON energy workers […]

Equal Pension

Conference notes that: 1)The Supreme Court decision in Walker v Innospec in July 2017, that upon John Walker’s death his husband should get the same pensions as would a wife had he married a woman, relies upon European Union (EU) law and sets aside a provision of the United Kingdom’s Equality Act 2010 that permitted […]

AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER SO2.1

In SO2.1 Delete “end of one Retired Members’ Conference” and insert “time of their election onto the Standing Orders Committee”.

Dental Care

This Conference recognises that older people find it difficult to afford the cost of National Health Service (NHS) dental care. Regular dental checks can detect other more serious medical conditions, such as oral cancer and heart disease, and, as such, act as preventative health screening. Conference, therefore, calls upon the National Retired Members’ Committee to […]

Routine NHS Health Checks for Older Persons “Prevention is better than Cure”

Conference acknowledges that early identification and diagnosis of a range of health conditions e.g. heart and lung problems, diabetes, kidney disease and early cancers can have a significant impact and increase the chance of success of subsequent treatments. Health professionals widely agree that early diagnosis of many conditions can be of major personal health benefit […]

Turbulent Times Indeed! Training for UNISON Stewards and representatives on reorganisations, redundancies and TUPE

The Energy sector is undergoing an unprecedented level of change, arguably the most change since the privatisation of the sector in the 1980’s. The sector is facing real challenges from competition within the sector; political challenges from all political parties and the media; the need to meet OFGEM requirements; opinions from the consumers whose switching […]

Policies on dealing with abusive customers in call centres

Conference notes that many energy members work in call centres and operational centres where they take calls from operational colleagues and customers. While most callers are reasonable, there is always a proportion that are unreasonable and some who are extremely abusive. In workplaces with generally high levels of stress, this can be intolerable. People who […]

Making the LGBT group more inclusive – the + factor

Conference celebrates UNISON’s work over the past 25 years to promote women’s equality and participation and to tackle sexism and sex discrimination at work, in our union and across society. Like other service groups, the Energy service group has a majority of women members and our rules and practices to encourage women’s participation are vital […]

LGBT Mental Health Workplace Initiatives

Conference notes that there have been some staff wellbeing initiatives by employers in the Energy service group related to mental health support, these are not consistent and there is still further to go for employee wellbeing. Conference recognises that at least one in four of us will experience mental health problems at some time in […]

UNISON Activists and Mental Health

Conference is concerned to note that increasingly both branch activists and lay officials are finding themselves suffering extreme stress and anxiety when dealing with the levels of case load that they are presented with. In some cases representatives in Energy have been placed under extreme personal pressure by employers. Conference notes that these pressures on […]

Just Transition

Conference notes that ambitious targets for moving to a low carbon industry are essential in the context of climate change and our country’s commitments to the Paris agreement. Taking responsibility to limit temperature increases and avoid catastrophic global warming will require significant transformations across our economy and industry. Conference believes that Just Transition must take […]

Recruitment in Outsourced Employers

Conference is concerned at the rapid and consistent drop in membership numbers being experienced in some branches. Conference believes that this is in part due to frequent voluntary severance exercises and people not being replaced when they retire. However, it must be noted that much of this is due to the fact that many Energy […]

Negotiating disability leave policies with Energy employers

Disability leave is time off from work for a reason related to someone’s disability. It is an example of a reasonable adjustment which Energy employers have a duty to provide to disabled staff under the Equality Act 2010. It is different to sick leave – in many cases the worker is not actually sick – […]