Conference notes with concern that in England the majority of NHS Trusts are unlikely to meet their target, pledged by John Reid in November 2004, of halving Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) incident rates by April 2008. Conference is also concerned about the rise in incidence of Clostridium difficile (C diff) which now poses a bigger […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that the 2007/8 pay settlement for the NHS includes a commitment by the Government, Employers and unions to enter into further talks with a view to agreeing a multi-year agreement on pay and other issues. The 2007/8 settlement was agreed in an all member ballot held in September 2007 and was supported by […]
Conference is deeply concerned that Black workers experience severe disadvantage in job promotion and career progression prospects. In line with UNISON’s objective of negotiating and bargaining on behalf of members and promoting equality, Conference calls upon the National Energy Service Group Executive to work with the National Black Members’ Committee and the NEC to: 1Produce […]
This Conference believes that energy companies continue to discriminate against disabled workers despite their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. Harsh sickness absence policies that fail to take account of disability related leave (as advised in the Code of Practice for Employment and Occupation), capability procedures that fail to recognise that performance can be affected […]
This Conference notes with concern the policy of companies within the energy industry to close final salary pension schemes. This has moved forward with the announcement by Centrica pensions to fundamentally change their entire pension portfolio, where the protected final salary scheme is to be transferred resulting in increased contributions and reduced benefits for our […]
Conference recognises that there exists a serious risk of skill shortages for many job types across the energy industry. This is partly related to demographics and an ageing workforce but also partly due to the increasing difficulty of recruiting younger workers with the right skills and knowledge into the energy sector. UNISON’s contribution to the […]
Conference welcomes the Energy Executive’s continuing support for equal opportunities through the Business and Environment Equal Opportunities Working Group (BEEOWG) and the continued success of the annual equalities seminar. Conference notes that LGBT members within the Energy sector are becoming better organised and now have an email mailing list that allows regular communication with members […]
Conference welcomes the publication of the report produced by the National Right to Fuel Campaign with support from UNISON that highlighted the extremely high prices being charged to consumers by the energy companies. Conference also endorses UNISON’s call for an Inquiry by the Competition Commission into the energy market and the imposition of a windfall […]
Conference welcomes UNISON’s approach to the UK’s future energy needs. It is clear that to develop a sustainable energy industry capable of meeting the legitimate needs of the public will require a mixed approach to generation. This must include a significant role for renewables and micro generation for small scale use, particularly for the domestic […]
Conference notes with concern the dramatic effect flooding had across many parts of the UK during 2007. Most experts including the Environment Agency and many climatologists are attributing the events to global warming. The 2007 floods showed how unprepared we are to deal with the consequences of localised flooding, let alone rising sea levels. The […]
The definition of fuel poverty is generally accepted as an individual or family who spend more than 10% of their disposable income to keep warm. In 2002 when the fuel poor numbered 2m, as a developed country, we were rightly appalled. How then should we be reacting as the number rose to 4m in the […]
This conference believes that public safety is being jeopardised by the gas companies’ practice of categorising gas leaks. Gas Safety Regulations state all leaks should be repaired within 12 hours. This conference is concerned that A3 gas companies have a system of categorising leaks into category “A” or category “B” leaks. A category “A” means […]
The NHS has many staff at every level, up to and including Executive Directors and Chief Executives, who work for or have interests in private healthcare providers. This is particularly relevant in the ambulance sector. Private healthcare providers who actively compete for and win Patient Transport Services contracts in England, have been historically staffed by […]
Conference recognises that many of the attacks on the NHS over the last few years have centred on Administrative and Clerical staff. These include: – 1)Outsourcing and offshoring medical secretarial work; 2)Centralisation of payroll functions; 3)Privatisation of payroll functions; 4)The wholescale privatisation of logistics in England. As the pressure for “efficiency savings” grows, workforce plans […]
Increasingly workers in the NHS face car parking charges as a ‘tax’ for working in an essential public service. We should start with the premise that parking should be free. Conference, therefore, seeks the issuing to branches of a negotiating guide and a national campaign on car parking based on the following principles (to be […]