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 […]

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 […]

COMP A – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parenting Rights And Equalirty For Adoptive Parents

Conference notes the advances in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality over recent years that have given LGBT people more options and choice of becoming a parent, whether it be as a single LGBT person or as a same sex couple. However there are still many LGBT people who are already parents or who […]

Workforce Reprofiling: Downbanding by another name

Conference is concerned at reports that some NHS Trusts are undertaking mass downbanding of staff to save costs, often under the pretext of skill mix reviews or other service redesign. While it is understandable that from time to time service redesign will be appropriate, this should only be driven by quality improvement and not solely […]

COMP C – Equal Marriage

Three in five people of faith in Britain support equal marriage! Stonewall’s five yearly polling of public attitudes shows that more that 80% of British adults under fifty now support the proposal. Civil partnerships are not enough, and as such treat us differently from everyone else. This is discrimination. You should not have to tick […]

Health and Social Care Bill

Conference reaffirms its complete opposition to the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill. Conference believes that the Bill is the biggest threat to the English NHS in its 64 year history. Despite minor changes made by the so-called “listening exercise”, the fundamental dangers of privatisation, fragmentation, instability and inequity remain. The Bill will turn the […]

Safe Staffing Levels and Patient Ratios

UNISON Health conference expresses serious concern about employers’ attempts to dilute skill mix and staffing levels as part of cost-cutting within the NHS and the impact which this can have on patient safety. We note a huge amount of variability in workforce planning, together with scientific evidence demonstrating the value of appropriate skill mixes to […]