Conference notes that outsourcing and privatisation constitute a failed economic model for local government services. It only serves to reduce our members’ pay, terms and conditions and maximise profits for contractors, consultants and shareholders. Conference also notes that services get worse following privatisation and outsourcing. Private companies have a legal duty to reward shareholders, so […]
Conference motions
Conference, there are three areas of concern. The crisis in Social Care, the underfunding of our NHS and decimation of our Community Care services, all combine to create a perfect storm. The scale of the problems now faced by adult social care providers are enormous, and are the direct result of massive Government cuts to […]
Conference notes that youth work professionals, including both qualified youth workers and youth support workers, perform vital jobs in our communities. In countless ways they help young people to lead positive lives as members of society. Conference further notes that the youth work profession has come under increasing attack in recent years. The 2016 UNISON […]
Social care plays a vital and growing role in our society. Yet increasing demand, falling real terms funding, and increasingly complex care needs has put the sector under significant strain. Social Care workers are often the people who are at the sharp end following cuts in public services elsewhere – dealing with clients who cannot […]
The neverending UK housing crisis means that millions of workers and their families live in expensive, overcrowded and insecure homes. Often these homes are long distances away from work or family and involve many hours of daily commutes. Conversely UNISON research has shown many families have grown up children living with them not out of […]
Conference notes that the 1967 Abortion Act will be 50 years old in 2017. Prior to 1967 around 100,000 illegal abortions were carried out each year in Britain and it is estimated that 35.000 women were hospitalised each year due to botched back street abortions. No one really knows how many women actually died, but […]
Conference notes that our members employed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its contractors are constantly under the threat of being deregulated out of employment. They continue to face bullying, harassment and attacks in the workplace, as well as erosion to their pay and benefits. Conference also notes that the future of meat inspection […]
This WET Conference, 2017 notes that the United Utilities branch produces a regular magazine entitled U3 which assists the visibility of UNISON in the many geographically spread workplaces and in turn, the retention of existing and recruitment of current non-members. Other branches in the WET Service Group could benefit from producing their own versions specific […]
This Water, Environment & Transport Conference notes the success of the WET H&S event of 2016 and past events and calls on the WET Executive in conjunction with UNISON’s H&S unit to organise a similar event in 2018, noting that our Service Group has some of the riskiest occupations within our membership of the whole […]
This 2017 WET Conference notes that the Tories as usual have backtracked on a pledge which may have assisted ordinary workers via a seat on the Boards of Companies. We believe that through our engagement with the Water Industry regulator OFWAT however that this initiative may not necessarily be dead in the water to excuse […]
2017 Water, Environment and Transport Conference notes the lack of UNISON Pension Trustees within the WET Service Group membership. Pensions is the one area UNISON can use influence probably more than any other in the current hostile political climate by using trained Trustees to ensure branches covered by our Service Group retain the best possible […]
Conference reaffirms its policy of a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment. Conference welcomes the development of the work by UNISON’s young members to raise the issue of bullying and harassment of young workers, and notes the disturbing results of the survey of young members conducted in October/November 2016 on this issue which revealed: 1)Nearly […]
Rule D 2.1 Replace “a young members’ seat” with “two young members’ seats” Rule D 2.5 Amend title – replace “seat” with “seats” In first paragraph: replace “representative” with “two representatives, at least one of whom must be a woman” In second paragraph: Replace “seat” with “seats” Rule D 6.2 Replace “member elected to the […]
Conference notes the Conservative Government’s plans for Brexit which represent a significant risk for working people in the UK. The EU has played a key role in protecting workers from exploitation, inequality, hazards and discrimination, and in promoting good employment practices. The referendum result does make Brexit a reality and that democratic decision must be […]
Conference believes that mental ill-health among the local government workforce is a huge and growing concern. A culture of long hours working, bullying, harassment and abuse is commonplace among local authority staff, with three quarters reporting consequent rising stress levels and declining morale. Meanwhile growing levels of sickness absence, with no cover due to cuts […]