This conference believes that the government proposals for school funding reform in England are flawed, unfair and fail to address the funding crisis affecting schools. The DfE proposals will only result in a flat cash settlement for schools and takes no account of the increasing costs for schools resulting from from inflation and increased staffing […]
Conference motions
Conference notes with alarm the growing crisis of underfunding of local government and the NHS, giving rise to a crisis in social care and related health services. Local authorities have undergone average cuts to their budgets of 37% up to 2015/16, while inflationary pressures have increased. A further £6.1 billion will be taken from councils […]
Conference notes the dramatic changes that have take place in housing policy and provision in the last 30 years and those presaged by the Housing White Paper. Conference further notes the significance of housing costs and affordability and their impact on living standards, the ability to live near the workplace and the economic, environmental and […]
Conference notes that youth work professionals, including both qualified youth workers and youth support workers, perform vital jobs in our communities. In countless ways they help young people to lead positive lives as members of society. Conference further notes that the youth work profession has come under increasing attack in recent years. The 2016 UNISON […]
Conference notes that the 1967 Abortion Act will be 50 years old in 2017. Prior to 1967 around 100,000 illegal abortions were carried out each year in Britain and it is estimated that 35.000 women were hospitalised each year due to botched back street abortions. No one really knows how many women actually died, but […]
Conference notes that our members employed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its contractors are constantly under the threat of being deregulated out of employment. They continue to face bullying, harassment and attacks in the workplace, as well as erosion to their pay and benefits. Conference also notes that the future of meat inspection […]
This 2017 WET Conference notes that the Tories as usual have backtracked on a pledge which may have assisted ordinary workers via a seat on the Boards of Companies. We believe that through our engagement with the Water Industry regulator OFWAT however that this initiative may not necessarily be dead in the water to excuse […]
2017 Water, Environment and Transport Conference notes the lack of UNISON Pension Trustees within the WET Service Group membership. Pensions is the one area UNISON can use influence probably more than any other in the current hostile political climate by using trained Trustees to ensure branches covered by our Service Group retain the best possible […]
This WET Conference, 2017 notes that the United Utilities branch produces a regular magazine entitled U3 which assists the visibility of UNISON in the many geographically spread workplaces and in turn, the retention of existing and recruitment of current non-members. Other branches in the WET Service Group could benefit from producing their own versions specific […]
This Water, Environment & Transport Conference notes the success of the WET H&S event of 2016 and past events and calls on the WET Executive in conjunction with UNISON’s H&S unit to organise a similar event in 2018, noting that our Service Group has some of the riskiest occupations within our membership of the whole […]
Conference reaffirms its policy of a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment. Conference welcomes the development of the work by UNISON’s young members to raise the issue of bullying and harassment of young workers, and notes the disturbing results of the survey of young members conducted in October/November 2016 on this issue which revealed: 1)Nearly […]
Rule D 2.1 Replace “a young members’ seat” with “two young members’ seats” Rule D 2.5 Amend title – replace “seat” with “seats” In first paragraph: replace “representative” with “two representatives, at least one of whom must be a woman” In second paragraph: Replace “seat” with “seats” Rule D 6.2 Replace “member elected to the […]
Conference notes the Conservative Government’s plans for Brexit which represent a significant risk for working people in the UK. The EU has played a key role in protecting workers from exploitation, inequality, hazards and discrimination, and in promoting good employment practices. The referendum result does make Brexit a reality and that democratic decision must be […]
Conference acknowledges the importance of well sourced pension schemes that provide reasonable returns so that members can live with dignity after retirement. Conference acknowledges the value of legislative changes that allow trade union representation on pension boards as a positive step. Conference recognises that the threat of global warming to our environment and to the […]
Conference notes: 1) The major changes taking place in the role of local government; 2) That central government funding for local government has been in steep decline since the beginning of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition government in 2010, and that local government has taken the brunt of the policies of public sector ‘austerity’ […]