The September 2020 Officer and Staff Safety Review and National Police Safety Survey undertaken by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing (CoP) was a comprehensive project to look at the risks associated with working in the police service and to crucially make bold recommendations to protect both those working in […]
Conference motions
Policing has its inherent risks and police staff and officers face conflict and violence on a regular basis. Being assaulted at work is an operational risk but is not something that should be considered as acceptable or part of the job. Those working in the police service deserve, and have the right to full victim […]
Conference notes that – 1)Public service pension schemes pay pensions to widows of male scheme members in respect of contributions since 1972; 2)As a result of a Supreme Court decision in 2017, scheme members’ surviving same – sex spouses and civil partners, irrespective of gender, are now treated the same as widows; but 3)Widowers of […]
Conference notes that in 2018/19, the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) gender pension gap – the percentage difference in average gross pension income of women pensioners compared to men – stood at 40.3%. Conference also notes this was the second year running the gap had widened. An earlier trend of gradually diminishing pension inequality appears to have […]
This Conference notes that during a time of international pandemic, once more local government workers rose to the occasion alongside other key workers in the NHS, care, transport and retail to keep essential services running and to support lockdown policies that were the front line in reducing infections and allowing time for a vaccine to […]
Conference notes that local government used to be an equality trail-blazer in terms and conditions for staff and also in the quality, accessibility and inclusivity of local government service delivery. This, coupled with a strong public service ethos, has contributed over the years to high numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) workers, […]
Conference acknowledges that even before Covid-19, equality was increasingly being seen as a luxury in many local government workplaces, with many employers barely abiding by the law. We must live up to our proud history and negotiate for LGBT+ equality to be included in all local government policies, practices and agreements. Conference recognises that local […]
Conference notes that many disabled staff in local government have previously requested to work from home as a reasonable adjustment and been refused. However Covid-19 has sparked a revolution in home working and as a union we need to build on the positives for disabled workers whilst also guarding against any detrimental impact. UNISON�s National […]
Conference notes that a UNISON survey of disabled members working from home during Covid-19, including local government workers, found that 53% did not receive any reasonable adjustments from their employer to help them to overcome the barriers they faced as a disabled person working from home. Only 5% had help from Access to Work, the […]
UNISON Cymru/Wales supports the principle of a �Fair Work Nation�. As the largest trade union in Wales, we speak on behalf of around 100,000 members and their families and work with 49 affiliated unions through the Wales TUC. We strongly support the aims of Welsh government�s Draft Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill which […]
UNISON believes in integrated free comprehensive education, which provides lifelong learning for all across the UK. Everyone should have access to an education system that best fits their own unique talents and abilities. Diversity is a strength and should be celebrated. UNISON will continue to fight for equity and equality of opportunity for people to […]
Conference notes that older people make up a growing proportion of the population, and so make an increasing contribution to society. They are our members, volunteers, taxpayers and carers. They have also been the most at risk during the Covid-19 pandemic, sometimes risking their own health to deliver urgent public services. Over recent decades there […]
Conference notes that many branches are struggling to represent members in schools, particularly in those schools which have become academies. Both local authorities and the academy chains are putting restrictions on local authority employed staff representing members employed in academies. This has resulted in many reps using their own time to represent members, sometimes even […]
Conference recognises that: 1)The impacts of the climate emergency are already evident and have profoundly altered human and natural systems; 2)In the UK, we are witnessing more frequent and extreme weather events. In 2019, our communities experienced flooding and also summer heatwaves that resulted in nearly 900 excess deaths. There were more UK wildfires in […]
Conference recognises that UNISON members in local government are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the communities they work in, as shown by their incredible work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, many of our members are subject to an alarming increase in violence, abuse and harassment at work. After years of cuts […]