ORGANISING IN FRAGMENTED WORKFORCES

UNISON remains committed to and will continue to fight for public services delivered by workers directly employed on terms and conditions that have been collectively bargained by democratically accountable public bodies. Nevertheless, Conference recognises that more and more public service workers are employed by the private sector and the community and voluntary sector. Often working: […]

Ethical Care Campaign and Living Wage

Conference welcomes the progress of the Local Government Service Group’s Ethical Care Campaign. The campaign highlights how low wages and poor terms and conditions for workers undermines the quality and safety of the service and the dignity of service users, and urges local authorities to sign up to UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter. The Charter addresses […]

Threat to the Bus Pass and Universal Benefits

Conference is very concerned that the concessionary bus pass for pensioners is being attacked and no political party has stated that it will be retained after the 2015 election. Withdrawing the bus pass from pensioners will need another Act of Parliament (original Transport Act 2008) but that won’t stop this Government or any other one […]

Winter Fuel Allowance: Time for an Increase

Conference is very concerned that the Winter Fuel Allowance payments were included in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne’s Budget statement on 19 March 2014, when he stated that benefits will be capped in 2015/16. The statistic (National Pensioners Convention) for the 2013/14 winter is that 31,000 pensioners died of cold-related diseases. The United […]

ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS

Conference notes that employers have increasingly been turning to zero hour contracts, as part of the general attack on staff terms and conditions that has accompanied the intensification of privatisation and cuts to funding across the public services. Zero hour contracts are where an individual is not guaranteed work and is paid only for the […]

Cuts to Further Education

The school system enjoys some measure of protection because of its compulsory nature and political interests. Over £1 billion has been spent on the establishment of academies, with little proven worth and sparse support outside of a doctrinaire cabal. Universities enjoy the respect generated by their hallowed halls and political alumni. Colleges have twice as […]

PAY

Conference reiterates its belief that our members deserve fair pay, equal pay and that no member should earn less than the Living Wage. However we note that living standards for working people have now suffered the greatest fall since the Victorian era; wages are stagnant across the economy yet the price of essentials continues to […]

Zero Hours Contracts and Impact on Black Workers i

Conference deplores the rise of the use of zero-hours contracts in local government. Zero hour contracts are a throwback to the sorry days of casual labour waiting at the dockside hoping to be picked out for work. Working hours can become unpredictable, meaning no guaranteed wage to help people pay their bills or plan for […]

ATTACKS ON FACILITY TIME AND SUPPORT TO BRANCHES

Conference notes with concern the continuing threat to facility time to Local Government Branches. Such Branches now work with a plethora of employers and are dealing with the consequences of huge and unprecedented cuts to local government funding. Conference notes that a motion on Branch facility time was passed at National Local Government Service Group […]

National Joint Council (NJC) Pay Campaign

Conference notes with concern that local government workers pay is falling behind other public and private sector workers. Many local authorities are trying to move away from NJC pay and conditions which could lead to regional or local pay. If this happens it is likely to divide UNISON members and further erode pay and conditions. […]

YOUNG WORKERS, APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES AND WORK EXP

YOUNG WORKERS, APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES AND WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT Conference believes that there is a staffing crisis in local government, with around half a million jobs lost since the General Election in 2010 (mainly as a result of UK Government cuts in local authority funding). The cuts mean diminishing prospects for young people […]

The Disproportionate Impact of Cuts on Women

Conference values local government’s history as an important part of the gender equality movement, acting as a key employer for women. Women make up 65% of local government staff and many of those women are low-paid and working part-time. Women are also more likely to use public services than men, and use them more intensively […]

Budget Cuts and the Impact of Austerity on Black W

Conference condemns the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition for the widespread and unprecedented destruction of public services that has resulted from the savage and unprecedented reductions in central government funding to local government, health, education, police, probation and the rest of the public sector. Public sector workers have borne the brunt of this in job losses, the […]

ETHICAL CARE

Conference notes that: 1) Since 2010 the government has imposed a £2.6 billion reduction in social care funding which has had a devastating impact on home care services; 2) As local authority’s budgets have been squeezed they have used competitive tendering to drive down the costs and standards of home care; 3) A recent UNISON […]

NJC PAY CAMPAIGN – WINNING A BETTER DEAL

Conference applauds the leadership and decision of the NJC Committee to ballot members for strike action starting on 10 July, following the derisory pay offer made by the Local Government Association on 21 March and the decisive vote by members to reject it in UNISON’s internal consultation. That every NJC region/nation returned a position to […]