In England the Bus Pass is available to those at or over state pension age or with some severe health conditions. It gives its holders free travel throughout England on what are defined as “Local bus services”, as a minimum between 09.30 and 23.00 on weekdays and at all times at weekends and Bank Holidays. […]
Conference motions
CRISIS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOTING – A PAY STRATEGY THAT CAN AND MUST WIN The Higher Education Sector has reached what appears to be a crisis point regarding balloting for strike action over pay. Neither aggregate nor disaggregate balloting appears to be effective when considering the returns from industrial action ballots in Higher […]
Conference recognises the huge efforts made right across our region to protect and safeguard our members during the Covid-19 pandemic – this mobilisation was particularly evident when as a region we collectively demanded sufficient protections for our members in the event they were off work due to any Covid-19 related absence. This was no more […]
Conference notes the £500 Recognition Payment Campaign launched by UNISON Community and Voluntary Sector Branch NI which called for all Community Sector frontline workers to be recognised for their heroic efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic, just like their counterparts working in the NHS. The campaign achieved the desired recognition for a select few frontline worker’s, […]
Conference welcomes the initiatives taken to date by the Community Service Group to advance the rights of disabled members in the workplace. Conference notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the structural inequality disabled people face but has also created the opportunity to confront discrimination and inequality in our workplaces in a way that allows […]
Conference is concerned that 60% of all people who have died from COVID were disabled and nearly half a million people have had long COVID for over a year. Long COVID can be a debilitating condition impacting on carrying out daily activities including duties at work. Conference notes that our members working in the community […]
The toxic debate ignited by the United Kingdom government’s consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act underlined the importance of our union, including branches in the Community Service Group, supporting and representing our trans members effectively. Attacks on trans people escalated further in 2021. Groups trying to roll back the rights of trans people have […]
In 2020 the Scottish Government commissioned Derek Feely to review adult social care services in Scotland. Following on from Feely’s report the Scottish Government published plans for the introduction of a National Care Service (NCS) in autumn 2021 but widened this out to adult and children’s social work and social care, including: alcohol and drug […]
Conference notes the Tory government, has broken manifesto pledges by raising National Insurance contributions and suspending the ‘triple lock’ on pension increases. On 7th September 2021, it published ‘Build Back Better: Our plan for health and social care’ announcing an impending White Paper on the future provision of adult social care in England. Conference acknowledges […]
The pandemic has put in sharp focus the value and importance of care work, the majority of which, paid and unpaid, is still undertaken by women. However, conference notes that the value and importance of care work is not reflected in the pay and working conditions of care workers. Jobs traditionally done by women are […]
There have been longstanding and chronic issues around recruiting and retaining workers in the social care workforce. Skills for Care data showed a vacancy rate in England of more than 7% before COVID. Poor pay and terms and conditions and too many unscrupulous employers mean the care sector was already in crisis before COVID hit. […]
Conference notes the publication in June 2021 of “A decent place to live”, a report commissioned by UNISON and produced by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) which identifies the shocking extent of the housing crisis in the UK and outlines a clear, positive vision for the future of affordable housing. This in-depth research […]
Conference notes the adoption of motion 72 “Supporting Our Branches: The Branch Resource Review” at 2021 Special Delegate Conference. Conference further notes and endorses the principles contained in Branch Resource Review Proposal 12: Organising School. Conference believes that the training, education and development of Community members is pivotal to ensuring that UNISON’s equality and organising […]
Conference notes the work undertaken by the Service Group Executive since the passing of 2016 National Delegate Conference Motion 2 ‘Organising for growth’ and in particular the initiatives taken by UNISON centrally to further examine the issues related to the current barriers and opportunities to developing, organising and supporting our membership, recognising that key lessons […]
The Community Service Group is very different from others within our union. There are more than eighty thousand members, employed by more than six thousand different employers. More than three thousand members are the only UNISON member at their employer. And most UNISON community members are part of branches where they are in a minority, […]