Rule D 3.5.8 Service Group Executive

Rule D3.5.8 Add new rule D.3.5.8 ‘No member who holds a seat on the National Executive Council as a service group representative under Rule D2.3 can hold any other seat on a service group executive at the same time.’ Renumber rest of Rule D3.5

Supporting Trade Unions in South Africa and the Region

Conference congratulates Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 90th birthday, which is on 18 July 2008. Many people and organisations are marking his birthday in 2008 as part of wider celebrations of South Africa’s struggle for liberation from apartheid, the successful establishment of a representative and participatory democracy and recognition of those who sacrificed […]

Public Services

Conference believes that changing political and economic circumstances make the case for sustained investment in quality public services delivered by well-trained and fairly rewarded public sector employees even more important. Conference notes that when given the option, as in Scotland and Wales, voters will support policy programmes that seek to strengthen and renew public services […]

Organising

The National Executive Council congratulates those branches and regions that have engaged in successful national and regional organising campaigns and notes that organising must remain central to the work of the union. The National Executive Council further notes that over the past five years the organising approach has led to a significant rise in the […]

The NHS at 60

As the National Health Service prepares to celebrate its 60th birthday in July 2008, conference welcomes the fact that its founding principles remain substantially intact. Despite government policies designed to drive more and more of the health service into private hands, the service is still largely publicly controlled, free at the point of need and […]

Local Services

Conference notes the 2007 Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act and the subsequent statutory guidance. This institutes new systems of delivering local public services in England affecting our members in Local Government, health, education, policing, transport and other areas. It also affects all our members as local citizens. Conference welcomes the increased co-ordination […]

Challenging Inequality – Enforcing Employment and Trade Union Rights

Conference notes the continuing advances in individual employment rights in the coming years but believes that there are three areas to prioritise in 2008 and 2009: the enforcement of employment rights, the collective rights of trade unions and the achievement of a single equality act. The legal right of agency workers to opt out of […]

Education and Skills

Conference notes that the Government is implementing the Leitch Review of Skills through new programmes and legislation and significantly increasing the resources for attaining qualifications through workplace training. Conference also notes the Governments ambition to increase opportunities and skills for young people by increasing the age for leaving school or training to first 17 and […]

Economy

Conference notes that fall out from the crisis in the financial sector, internationally and domestically, is leading to reduced predictions of economic growth this year and a possible increase in unemployment. Conference notes that this may put further pressure on public services as tax revenues available for investment are reduced and spending on social security […]

The Changing Structures of Local Service Provision

Conference notes that the world of local services in England is undergoing major change as a result of recent legislation affecting local government and local public transport. Councils and health trusts, police authorities and youth services, the Environment Agency and passenger transport authorities have to get together to plan, deliver, and monitor and commission services. […]

Elder Abuse: Human Rights in Private Care Homes

Conference deplores the decision of the House of Lords in the YL case that human rights legislation does not extend to elderly people in private care homes. This decision was taken despite evidence of human rights abuses such as residents being fed breakfast while seated on the toilet and care home residents not being given […]

Vulnerable Migrant Workers

Conference recognises that migration continues to be an important issue in all parts of the UK. Migrant workers make an essential contribution to the delivery of public services and to the overall economic wellbeing of the UK. Yet all too often this contribution is ignored and migrants are scapegoated for inadequate funding and provision of […]

Rule K 2 (i) Legal Assistance Qualifications

Rule K 2(i) Delete and replace with: “2(i) The member must have been in membership of the Union for at least 4 weeks prior to the member knowing that she/he had need of legal assistance and seeks legal assistance from the Union.”

Funding the Equal Pay Challenge

Conference agrees that spending should meet UNISON’s organising objectives and priorities. A principle priority is combating pay inequalities and securing equal pay for work of equal value for all our members, in properly evaluated and negotiated framework agreements. Conference notes that establishing equal pay for our members was one of the founding principles of the […]

Violence and Agression Against Staff

Conference believes that violence and aggression against staff is not part of the job. UNISON is commited to campaigning for tougher measures so that all public service workers are afforded the same levels of protection as that given to the police. Conference notes that as a consequence of this campaign there has been growing public […]