Young Workers, Burnout and the Right to Disconnect: The Negative Impact of Remote Digital Work on Young Members’ Well Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Conference notes that even before the pandemic mental health and stress at work were among the leading issues raised by young workers. Conference notes that the pandemic has only exacerbated young workers’ concerns about mental health, whether that is due to working in stressful conditions on the front line, or due to isolation from friends, […]

UNISON at 30

Next year, in 2023, UNISON will celebrate 30 years as a trade union. At its creation, UNISON became a union with the majority of its members being women and from the start put rules in place to ensure proportionality. Delegates to UNISON conferences and committees across all its structures ensure that two-thirds of those nominated […]

Complaints

Conference notes: 1)That the workplace can be a very difficult situation for our members when they face disciplinary action and it can have an adverse impact on their physical and mental health and well-being. This can impact on them having unrealistic expectations as to what UNISON reps can do to resolve their workplace issues; 2)The […]

Challenging Sexism and Misogny – Protecting Women

Conference notes with alarm and shock the report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), into the abhorrent and discriminatory workplace culture at Charing Cross Police Station that was published on 1 February 2022. The report identified the exchange of hateful and offensive messages between a group of 19 police officers. Numerous messages were […]

UNISON recognition by Defra

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 […]

Covid Recovery and Rehabilitation

Conference notes that, over the last two years, the UK, along with the rest of the world, has faced, a crisis like no other with Covid-19. However, while acknowledging the incredible advances made by vaccination and treatment, the pandemic is not yet over and will continue to affect the daily and working lives of the […]

Public Transport in the Post-Covid Era

As we emerge from the pandemic, usage of buses is 70-80% of the 2019 level. The figures for rail travel and tram journeys are slightly below that level. Transport companies are facing greater staff shortages than at any time during the pandemic. This is a result of staff leaving for alternative jobs, such as Heavy […]

Mental health of key workers in the Water Industry

Conference, during the COVID-19 pandemic water industry workers started to hear the terminology that they were key workers. Conference notes the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, whether on staff working under stressful conditions, people isolated from friends and family by lockdown measures, the physical impact of the virus itself, or the […]

Speak Up and Speak Out

Despite efforts to eradicate misogyny, discrimination, bullying, sexism, aggression and intimidation in our workplaces, society and in our union, we still have a long way to go. If we are to achieve a truly equal society, we must consider what more needs to be done within our own movement. UNISON with over one million women […]

Cost of Living Crisis and its Impact on Energy Workers

Conference notes that as a result of rapidly increasing wholesale gas prices, the price of energy for consumers and businesses in the UK has also significantly increased. Further it notes that the energy price cap which regulates the default tariffs has been increased by some 54% by the energy regulator OFGEM. This is the tariff […]

Unlocking the Potential of all in the Energy Industry

Conference notes that energy employers have reported many difficulties in recruiting into a wide range of roles within the energy sector. It is also known that in some parts of the sector the workforce is ageing, and more workers are retiring than being replaced. This is adding to workforce fatigue and an over reliance on […]

A balanced Energy System fit for the future, employing our members in good jobs!

Conference notes that in November 2021 the UK hosted the COP 26 in Glasgow. At this COP the UK again committed itself to achieving Net Zero by 2050 which itself is a statutory target which the UK Government should be working towards achieving. UNISON energy workers know already that achieving Net Zero will be hard […]

Not in Our Name

Conference notes with extreme concern the decisions taken by UNISON National Executive Council to change UNISON rules without National Delegate Conference approval as set out in the Rule Book. While the National Executive Council has power to interpret rules, the power to change them is vested solely in the National Delegate Conference, the supreme democratic […]

Encouraging STEM subject study to increase numbers of women working in technical roles in Energy

Research shows that at GCSE level engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects has a broadly similar gender split. At this level female students are achieving higher or equal average A*-C grades compared to males. At A Level this drops off with a higher number of males taking up STEM subjects, for example […]

Encouraging STEM subject study to increase numbers of women working in technical roles in WET

Research shows that at GCSE level engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects has a broadly similar gender split. At this level female students are achieving higher or equal average A*-C grades compared to males. At A Level this drops off with a higher number of males taking up STEM subjects, for example […]