Modernisation Revisited

The last Labour Government’s workforce modernisation agenda had a proven positive impact on policing in the UK, particularly with regard to community involvement. However since 2010 the disproportionate cuts to the police and justice budget have had a severe impact on UNISON members and numbers of police staff, including PCSOs have dropped to dangerous levels. […]

Workplace Mental Health Issues in Police and Justice Services

Official statistics produced by mental health charities advise us that one in four people will experience mental ill health at some point in their lives. Despite the success of many charities raising public awareness and drawing employers and ACAS’ attention to the mental wellbeing of staff there is still considerable stigma associated with mental health […]

Police staff are worth it

Conference is concerned that the creation of a single Police Service in Scotland has resulted in an unachievable savings target of £1.1 billion by 2026. Coupled with the Government led austerity agenda there are going to be further cuts to Police Staff jobs in order that the budget is balanced. Conference also notes the employers […]

Assistance Dogs as Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled People Working in Police and Justice Services

UNISON’s disabled members are aware of their right under employment and occupation provisions within the Equality Act to request reasonable adjustments that will assist them to remain in the workforce. Recent reports however advise that some employers do not understand that assistance dogs can be a legitimate reasonable adjustment and in doing so lose the […]

Future of the Police Staff Council

Conference is aware that Home Office funding for the Police Staff Council (PSC) for England and Wales is currently guaranteed only to September 2015. This funding provides for the offices of the Employers Side Secretariat, which has been delivered since the inception of the PSC in 1996 by the Local Government Association. Conference is aware […]

Protecting UNISON Members in the National Probation Service

Conference notes that the National Probation Service (NPS) has embarked on its E3 programme to review and reform the delivery of probation services which it inherited from the 35 former Probation Trusts on 1 June 2014. The purpose of E3 is to design a new operating model for the NPS in the following areas of […]

Co-ordination of Pay Claims for all Police Staff in England and Wales

Conference notes that UNISON represents members working for police forces in England and Wales whose annual pay award is not decided by negotiations at the Police Staff Council for England and Wales. These members include: a)Police staff working for forces which are currently opted out of the Police Staff Council, namely: Kent Police, Surrey Police […]

Protecting UNISON members in the Community Rehabilitation Companies

Conference notes that on 1 June 2014, 8,000 former Probation Trust staff were transferred from the outgoing Probation Trusts to one of the 21 new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) as a result of the government’s misguided Transforming Rehabilitation reforms. On 1 February 2015, the CRCs were sold into private ownership by the Ministry of Justice. […]

Defending National Collective Bargaining in Police and Justice

Conference recognises that National collective bargaining has delivered decent pay and conditions for our members in police, probation and CAFCASS over many years and is something worth defending. Following the general election result, national collective bargaining may come under pressure from employers and politicians who do not support a national focus to pay and conditions […]

Future of Police Force Structures in England and Wales

Conference recognises that the next five years will likely see changes to the structure of police forces in England and Wales. Although the Conservative government claims to have no plans to create force mergers, the onward march of collaboration and the ongoing bite of austerity cuts, which are expected to be no less than were […]

Protecting National Collective Bargaining for the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies

Conference notes with concern the threat to the future of the National Negotiating Council (NNC) for the Probation Service. The NNC was created in its current form in 2000 to cover the amalgamation of probation boards and the creation of a single-table bargaining machinery for all probation staff. Since that date, the NNC has been […]

Recruiting and Organising in Police and Justice

Conference notes that five years of public sector cuts to police and justice have taken their toll on UNISON membership levels across all Sectors within our Service Group. Conference recognises that these cuts are likely to be repeated over the course of this current parliament and will only intensify the pressure on our membership. While […]

Opposing the Collaboration of Force Control Rooms

Conference recognises the desperate cost saving initiatives forces are considering to meet the brutal funding gap imposed through the Governments comprehensive spending reviews. The service cuts being imposed on an already decimated police service are putting our members and the wider public’s lives at risk. The recent attempt to collaborate the Norfolk and Suffolk control […]

Police Force Alliances and Shared services – Learning the Lessons

Conference notes that in 2013 MP Damien Green spoke to the delegates at Police and Justice Conference and spoke about the great alliance going on between West Mercia and Warwickshire Police. As was pointed out the great success he was celebrating was not as great as he was trying to convince us. Not only had […]

Opposing the Closure of Public Access Points at Police Stations

Conference recognises the unsavoury and unpopular cost saving decisions that Police Forces are considering to meet the ruthless funding gap imposed through the comprehensive spending reviews which are being continued by this government. The service cuts are putting the public, our members’ lives and their families at risk. The local Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) […]