Defending and Reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

Conference is alarmed by the ongoing attacks on the LGPS from politicians, local councils, the Taxpayers’ Alliance, the CBI, the Institute of Directors and others. Conference also notes with concern the government’s ‘cap and share’ proposals for cost-sharing within the LGPS. Conference welcomes the response by UNISON and the LGPS Trade Union Side and the […]

Service Group Structures Review

This Conference approves the report of the Local Government Service Group Executive on the Review of the Local Government Service Group structure.

Medical Procedures in Schools, Colleges and Nurseries

Conference notes that education has become more inclusive with increasing numbers of children and young people attending mainstream schools, colleges and nurseries and extended school services. UNISON supports inclusive education but believes, for the safety and well being of children and staff, this must be adequately resourced, planned and supported. Conference further notes that UNISON […]

Regulatory Authorities in Social Work

This Conference recognises the importance of ensuring that social work and related practice is of a high standard, and that regulatory authorities have a role to play in this process. The regulatory system must be one that has the confidence of the workers who are subject to its regulation, and must therefore to be seen […]

Total Place

This Conference notes the increase in local public services integration and ‘joined up’ service delivery within the UK nations. While we support initiatives that genuinely enhance the quality of local services and provide them in a more integrated and efficient way, we believe that initiatives such as ‘Total Place’ should be under local democratic control […]

Housing

Conference congratulates members in Barnet UNISON on their successful campaign to protect the jobs of sheltered wardens and welcomes the decision of Slough and Hillingdon councils to bring their ALMOs back in house. Conference is alarmed at the emergence of proposals for stock transfer in Northern Ireland, the proposals by some councils with ALMOs to […]

Green Jobs, Green Services, Green Workplace Reps

Conference is alarmed at the 15,000 local government redundancies across the UK in the 15 months to February this year and deplores the negative consequences for the individuals affected and local economies dependent on their spending power. Conference notes that in an otherwise austere pre-Budget report, an additional £150 million was announced for the ‘Warm […]

Two-Tier Workforce

This Conference notes that large-scale privatisation is growing as a response to political ideology and finance pressures. This affects individual UNISON members in the Local Government Service Group and also affects our ability to organise collectively and effectively. TUPE and the “Two-Tier Code” were designed to provide legal protection for transferred and new employees, although […]

National Minimum Wage

Conference believes that the National Minimum Wage has been one of the government’s most successful policies, bringing legal protection to millions of low paid workers. It has been a key weapon in the battle against exploitation at work, especially benefiting women, young people, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and migrant workers and other vulnerable groups. […]

Love Your Libraries

This Service Group welcomes the Love Your Libraries campaign launched by UNISON in February. Library services make an essential contribution to local communities and educational achievement. However the service has suffered years of funding cuts and the threat of closures is growing. Despite the pressures, many libraries are developing innovative and imaginative ways of serving […]

“Easy Council” No Frills Public Services?

Conference notes: The recent policy by the Government to encourage Local Authorities to be the lead in commissioning all public services (“place shaping”) in a local area. This is in the context of all the major parties approving the privatisation of public services and the ongoing economic crisis with calls from all the major parties […]

Pension Rights for Civil Partners

Conference welcomes the decision by government to agree new LGPS regulations that extend pensionable service for civil partner survivors’ pensions to include pre-1988 service, so that entitlement is equal to that of married couples. Conference acknowledges that the issue of survivor benefits for civil partners has been pushed by UNISON at every opportunity, in responding […]

Private Social Work Practice Pilots

This Conference notes: The Children and Young Person’s Act 2008 and the piloting of independent ‘Social Work Practices’ to care for ‘Looked after Children’. That ‘Looked after Children’ are a very vulnerable group of young people who are cared for by the state either due to them being removed from the care of their family […]

Section 44 Stop and Search

UNISON has long been a champion of equality in the trade union movement and has been successful in fighting discrimination and employment cases; however, It has been reported in the media (BBC London News 6.6.09) that the Metropolitan Police Service in 2008 had stopped 170,000 people which led to only 65 arrests under the Government’s […]

Build Resistance to the Economic Crisis

The present economic crisis is a threat to the living standards, jobs and pensions of all working classes around the world. In the United Kingdom there are one million young people under the age of 25 out of work and increasing unemployment across the private sector and public sector. A major concern for Black members […]