Women and Austerity

All across the UK women have seen their standard of living fall since this government came to power. Their jobs and pay cut and the services they rely on severely affected by the Coalition government’s austerity measures. It is now more important than ever that UNISON as an organisation of women workers stands up for […]

Worth It Campaign and Living Wage

Conference notes that in 1999 the Labour government brought in the national minimum wage. This benefited approximately two million people and boosted the economy; it did not cause the job losses the Tories had said it would, and improved the lives of many. Conference believes that at a time when austerity and spending cuts are […]

Provision of Flu Jabs

Conference 2014 notes that some but not all employers in the water industry currently provide free flu jabs for their employees/our members. UNISON believes that this “best practice” should be adopted by all employers within our service group and calls upon the WET Executive in conjunction with Sector Committees to devise a negotiating guide on […]

Trade Unions and Political Influence

Political decisions have an enormous impact on the lives of our members. In seeking to promote and defend the interests of our members it is legitimate that we attempt to influence who is in a position to take such decisions and what decisions they take. It would be a disservice to our members if we […]

Mental health issues for Black workers

Conference notes: a)The findings of the 2005 “Count Me In” census in England and the following censuses that people from Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black backgrounds are over represented in psychiatric care. b)The report by Care Quality Commission published in 2010 that found that 23% of mental health inpatients were from Black communities […]

Wellbeing, Health and Safety in the Workplace

Conference notes the Con Dem Coalition’s welfare reforms agenda has forced public services and the voluntary sector to significantly reduce their workforce in the name of efficiency savings. Presently there is insufficient information to show the disproportionate impact on black workers and their communities. Alongside this, there is evidence from many workplaces showing that training […]

Encouraging Black activists

Statistics have shown that Black workers continue to be amongst the groups most likely to join a trade union. However, these figures do not continue in terms of Black members becoming activists. There is a gap between Black members joining UNISON and becoming active. Nevertheless, the very essence of trade unionism is the power of […]

Zero hour contracts and impact on Black Workers

Conference, since the coalition have taken power there has been mass redundancies, with many jobs being frozen and those who have survived are facing massive attacks on pay and conditions and threats of zero hour contracts. Black workers appear to be disproportionately affected by this. Government figures suggest there are approximately 250,000 people on zero […]