Facility Time

Conference notes the Government’s deplorable attacks on trade union facility time in the public sector, fuelled by lobbying by the Tax Payers’ Alliance and other right-wing organisations. Attacks on the facility time of civil servants have become envied by Eric Pickles as he seeks to mimic and replicate them across local government. These attacks are […]

Outsourcing and privatisation

Conference condemns moves by the coalition government to encourage greater use of outsourcing and privatisation in the delivery of public services. In doing so governments have ignored the impact of this US style approach which includes: 1) increased inequality in access and delivery of public services; 2) fragmentation of services, confusion for service users and […]

Pay

Conference condemns the prolonged public sector pay freeze that has drastically reduced the amount workers have received in recent years and now the punitive pay cap of 1% for two years from 2013. Conference also notes that many private companies and community/voluntary sector providers of public services have mirrored this freeze. On top of the […]

Calling a Halt to Poverty Pay in Local Government

Conference condemns the shameful state of pay and conditions for local government workers across the UK. Conference notes that: 1) NJC and SJC pay has the lowest bottom rate of pay and the worst conditions of all public sector groups – for both full-time and part-time workers 2) NJC and SJC pay has fallen by […]

UNISON response to the far right after Woolwich

Conference condemns the brutal murder of Lee Rigby, a serving soldier, in Woolwich on Wednesday 22nd May. Conference pays tribute to the family of Lee Rigby who have appealed for no reprisal attacks to take place in his name and pays tribute to the many people that attempted to intervene before the emergency services arrived. […]

State pension

Conference recognises that many UNISON members, especially low paid and part-time workers, receive very low occupational pensions and many of our members chose not to join the occupational schemes at all. It is important that UNISON remembers that these members are still very reliant on the state pension for their livelihood in retirement. Conference notes […]

NHS Campaigning

The creation of the NHS in 1948 was one of the greatest achievements of the post war Labour government. The founding principles were that health care should be funded from taxation and delivered free at the point of use. Since its creation the NHS has come under attack from successive Tory governments. However, since the […]

No to Bargain Basement Terms and Conditions!

Conference notes the shocking findings in UNISON’s late 2012 survey of cuts to NJC terms and conditions: 1) 20% councils have frozen increments 2) 8% of councils have cut basic pay 3) 13% of councils have introduced unpaid leave 4) Over 60% of councils have cut weekend enhancements 5) 31% of councils have cut redundancy […]

CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND THE ROLE OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Conference is alarmed and appalled by the article published by the Sunday Times on 2 June (and subsequently in other media outlets) reporting that the Treasury has been holding talks with the Department for Education about phasing out the role of teaching assistants as part of budget cuts in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review. This […]

Welfare cuts

The Coalition government’s attempt to cut billions from the welfare budget will have a devastating impact on low income households across the UK in the period ahead and in so doing, create a divided society in which Victorian themes of the deserving and undeserving poor are used. Conference notes in particular that: 1) the provisions […]