Police and Crime Commissioners

This Conference expresses its growing concern about government privatisation policies that will affect the terms and conditions of police and justice staff acting under the responsibility of police and crime commissioners. We welcome the anti privatisation campaign that was launched at UNISON’s national delegate conference 2012 partly in response to moves by the West Midlands […]

Disability Leave and Disabled Police and Justice Staff

This Conference is concerned that public sector cuts are being used to impact on the terms and conditions of disabled police staff through abuse of sickness absence management policies and disability leave policies. An increasing number of members working PCSO’s, CSI, kennel staff, mounted staff, custody staff and others report that police authorities are arguing […]

Young member recruitment and organisation

This Conference notes the organising efforts of branches to increase membership and density, despite challenging climate of reducing staff numbers across all Police Forces, Probation Trusts and CAFCASS. Conference notes the aging demographic profile of UNISON membership makes it essential to recruit more young workers. i)Conference calls on the Police & Justice Service Group Executive […]

Changes in work place demographics

Conference believes that cuts to police budgets have disproportionately fallen on police staff. Swathes of police staff across the country have been made redundant, face redundancy or privatisation. Conference it could be argued that any progress made in the last decade in terms of equality and work life balance has been expunged by the changes […]

Chief Constable/Police and Crime Commissioner – Two Tier Workforce?

Conference, in November 2012, the Police and Crime Commissioner will be elected to all police forces in England and Wales. There is much uncertainty and little guidance in relation to the handover and reallocation of staff when this process occurs. Initially, all police staff will change from being employed by the Police Authority to being […]

Work Place Consultants

Conference, Staffordshire Police like many other forces have had cost saving reviews by private sector consultancy companies at great cost to the taxpayer. The sums range from the tens of thousands to millions of pounds. These costs nationally are justified as necessary to make future financial savings. Staffordshire Police Unison have challenged a number of […]

Winsor Review

Tom Winsor has now published both parts of his review into Police Officer and Police Staff Remuneration. Part 1 recommendations were all about cuts and changes to police staff terms and conditions to the detriment of our members. There was nothing positive offered in exchange for the cuts and changes, there was a vague mention […]

Police and Crime Commissioners

On 15th November, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) will be elected across England and Wales and each will replace the respective Police Authority that is currently in place for their force area. PCC will have responsibility for the full budget of their respective force, including where and how the budget is spent in relation to […]

Pensions

Conference notes the final offer on the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales was published on 9 March 2012. UNISON members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently being balloted on the offer with full information on what it will mean for them and the consequences of rejection. Conference deplores the decision of […]

CHALLENGING RACISM DEFENDING PUBLIC SERVICES

Conference notes with deep concern new research by UNISON on the disproportionate impact of public service cuts on Black workers. This research, conducted as part of UNISON’s Challenging Racism in the Workplace and piloted in Greater London in November- December 2011 and results of which were analysed in January 2012 showed that Black women working […]

Stephen Lawrence

Conference notes that on 3 January 2012, Stephen Lawrence and his parents finally received some justice, when Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of his racist murder. Stephen Lawrence born on 13 September 1974, murdered by 5 white youths on 22 April 1993 just because he was Black – young and gifted. For […]

Cuts and the Black Members Experience

Black members are on the brink of economic meltdown from the coalition governments’ cuts, scapegoating and hypocrisy. The cuts to public services have directly affected Black members and the most vulnerable in our society, creating anger and a real sense of injustice. Conference is deeply concerned that despite over 40 years of anti-racism legislation, Black […]

Police and Crime Commissioners

Conference recognises that the election of Police and Crime Commissioners in November this year will fundamentally change the landscape of policing and potentially a wide range of other justice services in the future. UNISON was opposed to the concept of Police and Crime Commissioners, because we did not believe that a single elected politician could […]

Stop Privitisation

West Midlands and Surrey Police under guidance from the Home Office have advertised £1.5 billion contracts to run Police Services in both forces. The contracts could lead to the privatisation of crime investigation, forensics, 999 call handling, custody and detention and a wide range of police support services. Most other forces in England and Wales […]

Defend the Knowledge and Skills Framework and promote the Equality Agenda

Conference notes that the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) has had a turbulent integration within the NHS. There have been widespread variations regarding the success of the KSF across NHS employers. Conference remains committed to the belief that KSF is an in invaluable tool in the NHS and used properly it is a method of […]