Opposition to Single Group Funding Principles

Conference notes the outcome of the judicial review gained by Southall Black Sisters into Ealing Council’s decision to withdraw their funding. The finding being that the Council had failed to do a proper assessment of the potential impact of such a move. The Council’s decision was in part based on Government promoted principle that single […]

United Nations (UN) World Conference Against Racism Review

Conference notes the motion passed at National Black Members’ Conference in 2007 supporting calls for a Review Conference to follow up the UN World Conference Against Racism that took place in 2001. Conference further notes that UNISON Black members are working with community – led groups like the Global Afrikan Congress (GAC) and have made […]

Palestinian Workers’ Rights

We as Black members in the largest public sector union in Europe are fortunate that we enjoy access to representation, legal and other forms of aid as a result of our subscriptions. Some of our fellow trade unionists around the world are not so fortunate. The Israeli national trade union centre Histadrut and the Palestinian […]

Amendment to Standing Orders Rule 9.2 and 9.3 Rule Number & Heading 9.2 & 9.3

“When an amendment is defeated, a further amendment may be moved to the original motion.” Change to “When an amendment is defeated, the amendment which follows it on the Conference Order papers shall be moved.” “When an amendment to a motion is carried, the motion as so amended shall become the substantive motion, to which […]

Amendment to Standing Orders Rule 10.4 Rule Number & Heading 10.4

New Standing Order 10.4 “If there has been no speaker against a motion, no questions asked about the motion and any amendments have been accepted by the mover of the motion then there is no right of reply as there is nothing to reply to.”

Black Activist Tackling Racism at Work

Black members are still facing an uphill battle in the workplace; they encounter barriers in career progression, daily oppression from organisations institutional racist cultures and treated differently when raising grievances against employers which lead to the victimisation against many Black members. There is a common theme that for too long employers have been able to […]

Stop British American Tobacco Industry Eplotation of Developing Countries

Conference notes that In a shocking documentary on BBC2, it was revealed that British American Tobacco Industry (BAT) were promoting the sale of single stick cigarettes in countries such as Mauritius, Nigeria and Malawi thereby attracting children as young as 11 years old to purchase single stick cigarettes that worked out cheaper than the alternative […]

Fuel Costs and Mileage Rates

Defend Our Schools

Social Care

Conference condemns the continuing drive towards further privatisation and fragmentation of social care services but welcomes genuine initiatives to improve standards of care to service users. In this respect the use of personal care budgets as a source of greater independence and control for service users merits investigation. However, Conference views with concern that this […]

Academies

This Local Government Service Group reaffirms its opposition to the Government’s academies programme. We note with concern the Government’s plan to increase the number of academies to 400. We believe that this expansion will lead to the increased privatisation marketisation of education and encourage the development of the two tier workforce. The government is putting […]

The Equality Duties

Conference recognises that the Public Sector Equality Duties are a real opportunity for progress on equality in local government and welcomes the recent UNISON guidance on using the equality duties and the development of UNISON’s own equality scheme. The EOC (now EHRC) Guidance code lists key employment issues that should be considered by public authorities […]

Pay for Local Government Workers Covered by the National Joint Council (NJC)

Conference condemns the Government proposed 3 year 2% public sector pay ceiling. With inflation at more than 4% for the past year this is effectively a pay cut and at the same time pay rises in the private sector are running at 3.5% – 4%. Conference also condemns the blatant hypocrisy demonstrated by a majority […]

Local Government Reorganisation

High quality public services can be delivered through two-tier or unitary local government structures where supported by adequate resources, a fairly paid and properly developed workforce, and a healthy respect and enthusiasm for democratic accountability to the local community. Proposals to create new unitary authorities should therefore be rigorously assessed to evaluate the level and […]

The Two Tier Workforce and Review of Best Value

Conference notes the statutory guidance on ‘Safe, Strong and Prosperous Communities’ which replaces existing guidance from 2003 on ‘Best Value’. The sections which deal with workforce issues – including the ‘Best Value Code of Practice on Workforce Matters’ on the two tier workforce – are also withdrawn and replaced. The Best Value Code followed the […]