Day one of Conference began with a welcome by the current president of UNISON.
A moment of silence was all held to remember all those that have lost their lives over the past few years.
We now move to the first order of business Standing Orders Committe Report 1 and 2 was moved by the Standing orders committee. these reports were both carried.
We now receive a report from The Local Government Service Group Executive Annual Report ( you can read this below) this report was carried.
To read more about the conference and the motions due to be discussed in the following guide…
You can also read the Annual Report here…
Also composite motions can be found here
Now we discuss the motions for the morning and first we discuss Motion 3 and 3.1 as amended Covid and Long Covid – this was carried.
Motion 4 & 4.1 – New Ways of Working in Local Government is now being discussed and has been carried as amended
Motion 11 – Pay – Campaigning and Balloting was now discussed and this motion was carried
Motion 1 and 1.1 – Funding Cuts and Ethnicity Pay Gap in Local Government was debated and carried as amended
Motion 14 – Violence At Work – Its not part of the Job was discussed and this debate will continue later in conference and was paused due to timing and for a speech by the UNISON General Secretary.
Cristina McAnea UNISON General Secretary addresses conference and makes an inspirational speech and covered many issues affecting Local Government members, the current industrial action in Scotland. (click below for more info)
Cristina also finished to ask delegates to celebrate all the achievements by all of you and asked for all who can to come to the rally on Saturday 18 June 2022, click on the image below for more info.
Motion 14 – Violence At Work – Its not part of the Job was discussed and this debate was continued and this call the conference morning session was deferred to the next session.
This brings to a close the first conference session and will continue in the afternoon after lunch.
Today we attended a conference in a very different way, this was the first fully virtual conference run by UNISON attended by the branch. this was all done online with voting taking place virtually. and your Delegates all attended and actively participated in this event.
First we had a welcome from Josie Bird, introducing us to the conference and the order of business and the rules around it. we then held a one minute silence to honour and remember those that we have lost over the past two years.
Then we moved to the debating of the motions the detail of these can be found in the following documents. click on the documents to read more detail.
The debating of the motion now took place, here’s a summary of all the decisions that were made and some informative Tweets from your Branch Secretary Becky Everett.
Motion 25 – The Future of Local Government with amendments – carried
Motion 29 – Developing and Expanding social partnership and fair work in Wales and across the UK is – carried.
Motion 28 – Covid Legacy – carried
Motion 36 – Education Support Staff and the need for Comprehensive State Education were both carried
#unisonderbycity#unisonLG21 supporting Motion 36 Education support staff and the need for Comprehensive State Education / our children deserve better! ?? give proper funding to schools post covid!
Motion 24 – Traveller Communities and Motion – Carried
Motion 26 -Local Government and Climate Breakdown as amended were both – Carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 fantastic to hear Glen speaking on Motion 26 Local Government and Climate Breakdown. There has never been a better time to protect the Climate. This will be added to the agenda for our next committee meeting! pic.twitter.com/vZ5NOBdB1B
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids Motion 35 Facility Time in Schools, a motion that impacts our branch. The difficulties stewards face to attend training, meetings etc is real. This must change. Derby City Branch supports this motion. ?? It’s important stewards are supported. pic.twitter.com/1en8kAAdfk
Composite B – Local Government Funding and Fighting Cuts – carried
Composite C – Social Care – carried
Below is an interesting Webinar with information and support for care workers for you to watch.
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids Composite C – Motions 38,40,41. Social Care – we cannot and must not forget our care workers in some cases – HAD to make their own PPE using bin bags! Lives put at risk!!! Some care workers HAD to buy their own PPE! Lives put at risk! pic.twitter.com/tzMxJCY5rI
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids Motion 33 -Adult Education Needs Investment – Adults need the chance to learn and to improve their chances of work, promotion and self confidence. Give adults who want to learn every opportunity to do so! The time is now to give funding to adults! pic.twitter.com/0a6TuEicCX
a Celebrating Local Government champions video was shown, watch here…
We are now being shown ‘Would You Rather’ Impossible choices could soon define our local communities. But we can #SaveOurServices. Write to your MP to #DemandThe10Billion
Christina McAnea now addresses conference speaking about the commitments and work being carried out by UNISON to support Local Government across the United Kingdom
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#UNISONLG21 Session 2, Our General Secretary recognising UNISONS hard work pre Covid and during Covid. Proper funding is needed for a sustainable future, Safeguarding jobs is essential and not fire and rehire. 1.5% pay offer is not good enough! pic.twitter.com/4E0SB0Jtz9
Motion 4 – The future of the National Joint Council for England, Wales and Northern Ireland – carried, looking at the structure and review the process.
Motion 15 – Standing Up to Violence, Harassment and Abuse of Local Government Staff – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#UNISONLG21 Motion 15 Standing up to Violence, Harassment and abuse of Local Government staff. We don’t go to work to be harassed, be abused or have violent acts done to us. We must do all we can to bring Violence, Harassment and abuse to an end! pic.twitter.com/tcAyXs2rLr
Motion 12 – Health & Safety and safety reps in local government after Covid – an opportunity to recruit and organise women workers – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#UNISONLG21 Motion 12 H&S and safety reps in LG after Covid, an op to recruit & organise women workers. We need more women in H&S roles, please contact us at branch to hear more about becoming a H&S rep for your workplace. Women we need you! pic.twitter.com/Ryd5lyB5Ze
Composite A – pay strategy for organising and industrial action in local government – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#UNISONLG21 Composite A-A pay strategy for organising and Industrial action in LG (motions 3 & 5) who was ur Covid hero? Who did u realise u took for granted pre Covid? Those that kept your community going rewarded with a pay freeze! ???? pic.twitter.com/YhHkeXUeOe
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 2 Foods standard Agency – Pay Terms and conditions. The pay freeze continues, essential workers need recognition in their pay. We rely on FSA to keep our restaurants and food outlets safe. We must end the pay freeze!
Motion 11 – Covid-19 hasn’t killed sexual harassment at work – it’s just moved online – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 11 Covid hasn’t killed sexual harassment at work – it’s just moved online. There’s been a surge of online sexual harassment- this isn’t right. We don’t have to and we won’t put up with sexual harassment – Talk to us! ?? pic.twitter.com/yQh03Tl8Ea
Motion 18 – The impact of Covid-19 on Black workers in local government – due to no one being able to move this motion it has fallen
Motion 20 – Homeworking as a reasonable adjustment in post-COVID local government workplaces is now being discussed and how this has created better working practices for disabled members and others – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 20 Homeworking as a reasonable adjustment in Post Covid LG workplaces. Employers are going to find it very difficult to argue against WFH as a RA – we have proved it can be done and can be very productive.
Motion 21 LGBT+ inclusive policies in Local Government is now being – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 21 LGBT+ inclusive polices in Local Government. We must improve policies within workplaces to protect our LGBT+ colleagues. We must step up and speak out on this! ? Derby City support ??
Motion 13 Reduction in the Working Week – Campaigning Across the Sectors – carried. Some members feel they are ‘Not Working from Home but Sleeping in the Workplace’ this needs to stop!
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 13 Reduction in the working week – campaigning across all sectors. Less staff in the workplace = more work for those that are left. Work load has not reduced but workforce has.
Motion 9 For Fair Public Sector Funding And Against a Public Sector Pay Freeze – carried (motion 6 falls)
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 9 For fair public Sector Funding & Against a public sector Pay freeze. We need to campaign strongly for our key worker status, we can’t allow fire and rehire to become our norm. We with the NHS have kept the country going. ??
Motion 16 – LGBT+ workers health and well being – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 16 LGBT+workers health and well-being ?️? We must work together to ensure the Health and Well being of our LGBT+ members are being supported at work, and have access to support networks and our branch LGBT+ officer. ? ??
Motion 19 – Accessing reasonable adjustments during Covid-19 -carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 19 Accessing Reasonable Adjustments during Covid 19. We must ensure all branch officers / stewards are confident in requesting Reasonable Adjustments. The employer must make every attempt to make work accessible for all. ??
Motion 17 The Challenges and Opportunities for an Ageing Workforce in Local Government – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids#unisonLG21 Motion 17 The challenges and opportunities for and ageing workforce in Local Government. Our older workers bring a vast amount of knowledge – These workers have risked health to continue to deliver services during Covid 19. pic.twitter.com/8cmqPwsBy8
Motion 34 – Reduce agency working in Further Education Colleges – carried
@Unisonderbycity@UNISONEastMids Motion 34 Reduce agency working in further education colleges. We need to question FE when using high levels of agency staff, employees deserve a contract and fair T&CS ?? pic.twitter.com/yU88X926oa
Josie bird closed the conference and we would like to thank all involved for putting it together in very special circumstances see you at the look out for our updates on UNISON Special Delegate Conference next week
The afternoon session began with a speech from International Speaker Jucelia Vargas Vieira de Jesus, President SISERP, Santa Catarina State, Brazil.
Jucelia gave an emotional speech about the issues in Brazil that affect all people specifically Women, Black people and LGBTIQ people across the country. she also made mention and solidarity about the Anti-Government Protests that happened on Friday 14 June 2019. see video below for more information.
You can find out more about the SISERP on their facebook page here…
The conference then continued with normal business and started to look at the next motions, these were…
Composite C – Funding Cuts and Saving Local Government Services – Carried
Social Care cuts – Carried
Income Generation – Carried
A State of Crisis in Local Government – Carried
Double Jeopardy – The Impact of local government cuts on women – Carried
Councils at Breaking Point – highlighting the damage – Carried
Mike Short Senior National Officer delivered the final section in the annual report – recruitment and organisation
The following motions were then discussed…
Facility Time – Carried
Black Members Mentoring Scheme in Local Government – Carried
Schools Funding and School Support Staff – Carried
Education Funding Formula – Carried
Cuts to Pastoral Support in schools – Carried
Excluding future HE, FE and Sixth form staff from LGPS – Carried
Recruiting and Organising Fire and Rescue Staff – Carried
This closes the Local Government Conference 2019, please look out for our National Delegate Conference Coverage from tomorrow.
for more information on the annual report, Motions and Composites please click the below documents…
