Pay in the Community and Voluntary Sector

Conference notes that, despite strong campaigning by UNISON, pay and conditions for our members in the community and voluntary sector (CVS) are inferior to those in the public sector. UNISON members in the community and voluntary sector have long had a very strong involvement as providers of social care. As CVS organisations provide an increasing […]

Rule K 2 (i) Legal Assistance Qualifications

Rule K 2(i) Delete and replace with: “2(i) The member must have been in membership of the Union for at least 4 weeks prior to the member knowing that she/he had need of legal assistance and seeks legal assistance from the Union.”

Funding the Equal Pay Challenge

Conference agrees that spending should meet UNISON’s organising objectives and priorities. A principle priority is combating pay inequalities and securing equal pay for work of equal value for all our members, in properly evaluated and negotiated framework agreements. Conference notes that establishing equal pay for our members was one of the founding principles of the […]

Violence and Agression Against Staff

Conference believes that violence and aggression against staff is not part of the job. UNISON is commited to campaigning for tougher measures so that all public service workers are afforded the same levels of protection as that given to the police. Conference notes that as a consequence of this campaign there has been growing public […]

Moving Beyond the Two-Tier Workforce

Conference notes that there have been at least six different agreements in operation that attempt to protect the terms and conditions of staff working for contractors on public service contracts, including new starters. They each apply to different sectors, devolved administrations, occupational groups whilst some sectors do not even have this minimalist protection (eg Academies, […]

Democracy – Review of UNISON Guidelines

Conference reaffirms its decision of 1998, confirming the right to organise, campaign and communicate to change, modify or replace policy through the constitutional channels of the union, while acting within agreed union policy. Conference reaffirms its view that this right is universal and includes: 1)the right of branches, regions, service groups and self-organised groups to […]

‘Flexicurity’

Conference notes that the term ‘flexicurity’ and its basic principles have been adopted by European Union (EU) leaders when on the 13th December 2007 they rubberstampted the renamed EU constitution in Lisbon, Portugal. This term has been introduced by the European Commission to suggest that if a worker accepts flexibility, job security at work will […]

Pay Campaign Lessons of 2007

This Conference believes that a successful pay campaign needs to be conducted prior to the wage year rather than during it. To be balloting for industrial action in October 2007 to take action in November, eight months after the wage claim should have been implemented was a recipe for failure. In future our claim needs […]

Public Sector Pension Funds – Responsible Contractor Investment Policy

Conference notes that the pension funds of UNISON members, particularly those in Local Government and Higher Education are increasingly invested in companies and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects that deliver public services under a contract to a public body. Many of these companies employ UNISON members working on such contracts. Because of such pension fund […]

Defending, Celebrating and Improving the National Minimum Wage as it reaches its 10th year

Conference is proud of the role UNISON played with other in the labour movement in the creation of the national minimum wage (NMW) which was first introduced on 1st April 1999. Conference believes that the introduction of the NMW is one of the finest achievements of Labour in Government. Since its introduction the NMW has […]

Rule B 1 At Work and in the Community

Rule B.1 Add new B.1.12 “12. To promote and pursue environmental sustainability in all our work.”

Supporting Show Racism The Red Card

Conference welcomes the President’s choice of Show Racism The Red Card as her project for her term of office. Show Racism The Red Card is an anti-racist educational charity. Its aim is to combat racism through enabling role models, who are predominantly but not exclusively footballers, to present an anti-racist message to young people and […]

Trade Union Representation on Foundation Trust Boards

Doncaster & District Health Branch firmly believe that the current basis of the composition of Foundation Trust Boards is not conducive to good partnership working as Trade Union Representatives are not allowed on these Boards in any formal capacity. Guidelines issues by the Department of Health confirm this position and the branch is concerned that […]

Health Pay Ballot 2007

This conference notes: The ruling made under the democracy in UNISON guidelines which prevented branches from campaigning for or against this year’s pay offer, following no recommendation from the service group. This Conference believes: This ruling is a new interpretation – inconsistent with the practice during the agenda for change debates and ballot. In this […]

MUFTI Allowance

Since the implementation of Agenda for change, many NHS employers have discontinued the practice of paying ‘mufti’ allowance . A Q& A issued from the Staff Council stated: Section 19, annex O “We have been asked for advice on ‘MUFTI’ allowances. There is no national provision for this within Agenda for Change. MUFTI is not […]