Celebrating Eequality in WET Workplaces

Conference notes that workplace equality issues are often portrayed as problems, difficult to handle, a minority interest and all about discrimination and prejudice. Conference believes that equality is not a problem but rather is something to celebrate in our Water, Environment and Transport (WET) workplaces. By celebrating equality and celebrating diversity we can help end […]

Tackling Stress in Water, Environment and Transport Workplaces

Conference welcomes the work done over many years by UNISON negotiators and representatives in water, environment and transport (WET) to highlight and tackle workplace stress. Conference is concerned that the current climate, with persistent threat to jobs, is placing particular stresses on WET members. There is micro-management, ever more pressure to meet targets, with fewer […]

Celebrating Equality in Energy Workplaces

Conference notes that workplace equality issues are often portrayed as difficult to handle, a minority interest and all about discrimination and prejudice. Conference believes that equality is not a problem but rather is something to celebrate in our energy workplaces. By celebrating equality and celebrating diversity we can help end the invisibility, isolation and marginalisation […]

Tackling Stress in Energy Workplaces

Conference welcomes the work done over many years by UNISON negotiators and reps in energy to highlight and tackle workplace stress. Conference is concerned that the current climate, with persistent threat to jobs, is placing particular stresses on energy members. There is micro-management, ever more pressure to meet targets, with fewer staff expected to get […]

Taking a Lead on Recruitment in the Energy Service Group

Conference notes that there are thousands of UNISON members working across the energy sector. Conference also notes that many energy companies have recently made staff redundant and there are plans for further redundancies and the off-shoring or out sourcing of jobs. Conference understands that in order to maintain union density and income, we will need […]

Getting Equality on the Bargaining Agenda and Winning it for Members

This Conference welcomes the work being done by the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group (BEEOWG) to promote the equalities agenda. Equalities have long been a priority for the Energy Service Group. Within the Energy service group we have a long and proud tradition of fighting for equality for all our members. Over the […]

Offshoring in Energy

We note with concern the ever-increasing amount of work moved offshore by the energy utilities. In November of last year, npower confirmed it would cut nearly 1,460 “back office” jobs in the UK, or 15% of its staff in this country, and move them to India. It is outsourcing a further 540 British call centre […]

Storms of Protest

As 2013 drew to an end, many homes and businesses in the United Kingdom were affected by severe weather disruptions on unprecedented scales. Many domestic residences were without power at the most inconvenient time of the year with Christmas fast approaching and further severe weather warnings imminent. Most distribution network organisations were able to plan […]

Recruiting and organising under-represented workers

Conference notes that Water, Environment and Transport is the only UNISON service group where male members outnumber female. This is despite the predominance of women staff in the administrative and clerical roles, in common with the UK workforce as a whole. Women in any workforce continue to face discrimination in pay and access to training […]

Review of Organisation and Branch Structure in the Environment Agency

Conference notes that: a) The existing branch structure within the Environment Agency was established at the time that the Environment Agency was created and was based largely on water company boundaries. b) The structure of the Environment Agency has changed significantly since this time and concern has been expressed that certain bargaining groups are no […]

Getting Equality on the Bargaining Table and Winning it for Members

This Conference welcomes the work being done by the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group (BEEOWG) to promote the equalities agenda. Equalities have long been a priority with the WET Service Group. Within the WET service group we have a long and proud tradition of fighting for equality for all our members. Over the […]

Pension Fund Trustees

Conference notes: a) Many funded pension schemes include provision for member nominated trustees. b) The financial crisis has highlighted the need for appropriate oversight and responsible management of workers capital. c) Proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme are likely to extend the rights of workers to be represented on pensions committees; d) In […]

Energy Policy

This conference notes that over the past year, debates around energy supply and retail have been very high profile across the UK involving senior politicians from across the political spectrum. These debates have however, singularly failed to take into account the thousands of people who are employed in this sector many of whom are paid […]

Support and Training for Meter Readers

This Conference calls upon the Energy Service Group Executive to work with the NEC, employers, suppliers and government agencies to deal with the pressing issue of developing adequate support, including re-skilling, for meter representatives through a period of decline in their industry due to the growth of smart metering. We feel strongly that the effect […]

Green Deal and the Need to Insulate UK Homes

This Conference laments the poor performance of the Governments flagship Green Deal programme. We also note the continued difficulties evident in the relatively slow and problematic take up of initiatives like Energy Company Obligation and its predecessor the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. Too much resource is used simply trying to identify those eligible for assistance. […]