Devolved Government and Transport

Conference notes the statement by Alistair Darling, MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, which foresees the Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly and Regional Assemblies in England taking more responsibility for transport. Conference welcomes this development which is an important step in delivering better and more integrated public transport services. Conference acknowledges, however, that this development […]

Review of Lay Structures

This Conference recognises the need to constantly review our organisation to ensure that the needs of members are met in the most effective way. As part of the current review, Conference instructs the Transport Service Group Executive to work with the National Executive Council to ensure that there is one seat on the National Executive […]

Partnership Fund

This Water and Environment Service Group Conference notes the existence of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Partnership Fund which is established to jointly improve workers lives where partnerships exist. We note that both Thames Water and United Utilities jointly with the Trade Unions have recently been successful in obtaining £50K and £45.5K respectively […]

Paying for Water Services

This conference recognises that a new basis for paying for water services should to be found to replace the existing outdated rateable value based system. Conference believes that any new system has to ensure that sufficient income is generated to maintain a properly trained and adequately resourced workforce. Conference further recognises that consumers will expect […]

Offshoring

Conference notes that the TUC estimates that between 150,000 and 200,000 jobs could be at risk in the private service sector due to work being offshored. Conference believes that offshoring on the scale envisaged is not inevitable but while it is happening the priority must be to defend our member’s jobs. Therefore we welcome work […]

Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation – Policing the New Legislation

Conference notes: i)That the long-awaited legislation protecting workers from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has now been in force for a number of months; ii)That some equalities policies, such as the Centrica policy, already included sexual orientation, and others have now been amended. However, Conference further notes that there is still much to be […]

Contractor Deaths on Water Sites

This Water and Environment Conference is very concerned about the decline in safety standards on sites such as those managed by United Utilities whereby three sub-contractors (including one aged 17) have died since Autumn 2003″. We call upon UNISON’s lay and paid officials on the (National) Water and Environment Service Group Executive with responsibility for […]

Health Care Assistants

This Conference notes: 1.The successful regrading campaign for Health Care Assistants undertaken by Newcastle City Health UNISON; 2.This has involved updating the B Grade job description to take into account the changes and the development in roles of HCA’s since the grading structure came into being in 1998; 3.The campaign has involved HCA’s themselves re-evaluating […]

Unsocial Hours – Early Implementers Experience

Because of the lack of job profiles a considerable amount of information from Early Implementers has been lacking, especially around unsocial hours supplements. Therefore the SGE should be clear in its communication to members about information from Early Implementers especially calculating unsocial hours payments and how their calculations can be made when an individual is […]

Mobility and Mufti

This conference calls upon the SGE and National negotiators to make representation on behalf of staff who need to be mobile to carry out their work or wear mufti instead of uniforms. Current rates of remuneration date from as far back as the 1970’s, when the tax threshold was set at £8,000. For staff who […]

Learning and Organising in Health Branches

Conference notes the success of learning initiatives in health branches, and the productive relationship between the Culture of Learning Project and health branches. Conference recognises that the Learning agenda provides UNISON with important opportunities for branches to organise and recruit new members, in addition to other organising activities such as campaigns, representation and negotiations. Lifelong […]

Fair Trade

This Conference believes that wherever possible the NHS should access its supplies using “fair trade” principals. We are aware that the NHS Procurement and Supplies Agency is in the process of developing a fair trade policy together with NHS Estates and that a Head of Sustainable Development has been appointed with a remit that covers […]

Fair Pay for All Staff

Conference notes that under Agenda for Change 16 different factors have been invented and have been weighted so that: ·hard physical work gains a maximum of 25 points but; · ·knowledge, training and experience is worth 240 points; · ·25 points are available to recognise tough working conditions yet; · ·360 points are available to […]

NHS Treatment for Asylum Seekers and Refugees

This Conference notes: a.The deplorable statements made by health ministers with regards to the issue of so called “health tourists”; b.This included reference to failed asylum seekers and figures up to 200 million pounds were mentioned; c.This comes at a time when there are continuing attacks on asylum seekers and refugees, and that fasict organisations […]

Migrant Health Workers

Conference is increasingly concerned at the exploitation of migrant Health workers, which is taking place in Health Services in the UK. We recognise that the NHS has taken significant steps to address the exploitation and we welcomed the guidance, which was issued in 2003. However, during 2003 an estimated 40,000 overseas nurses applied for nursing […]