https://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/defend-the-winter-fuel-payment
Unite branch officer and workplace rep elections 2022
If you are a Unite member, there is an opportunity until the end of March 2022 within Unite to stand to be a workplace rep, safety rep, learning rep, environmental rep or equality rep if you are in an industrial branch or a branch officer in any branch.
This opens the door to standing for election as a delegate to constitutional committees in Unite and gets you involved in Unite’s structures.
This is a great opportunity to get loads of new people involved in the union.
We encourage Unite Rank and File Supporters to come forward as reps or branch officers.
Please feel free to contact if you are interested in becoming a new rep, have any questions or need any guidance with the process.
https://uniteforoursociety.org/join-us/become-a-rep/
Unite Policy Conference 2021 – day five
Below is an update on Friday’s business – the final day of #UPC2021. Conference discussed the Executive Council report and Unite’s accounts, plus motions on Pensions & Retirement, Political & Labour Party, Union Administration & Membership Services. Key conference documents and updates from previous days were posted previously (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).
Executive Report & Accounts
They were endorsed.
Pensions & Retirement
Emergency Motion #1 State Pension – Triple Lock (text below) – agreed
Composite 12 (motions 88+A, 89) State Pension – agreed
Motion 86 State Pension – agreed
Motion 85 State Pension – agreed
Composite 13 (motions 91, 128) Dignity for Older People – agreed
Motion 87 Pension Protection Fund – agreed
Motion 90+A National Pensioners’ Convention – agreed
Motion 132 Retirement & Pensions Education – agreed
Motion 133 Retirement & Pensions Education – agreed
Political & Labour Party
Composite 14 (motions 92, 93, 95) Preferential Voting – agreed
This was a contested debate, but the Composite, opposing First Past The Post, passed by about 2 to 1.
Composite 15 (motions 96, 97) Clause IV – agreed
Union Administration & Membership Services
Motion 142 Branch ICT – remitted
Motion 143 Trade Union Councils – agreed
Motion 131 Transport from Heathrow – agreed
Emergency Motion #3 Housekeeping and Hospitality and Unite’s use of hotels (see below for text) – agreed
Emergency Motion #1: State Pension – Triple Lock
Introduced in 2011 by the coalition government, the triple lock guarantees that the basic state pension will rise by a minimum of either 2.5%, the rate of inflation or average earnings growth, whichever is largest.
Despite a clear manifesto commitment from the Tories to honour the Pension Triple Lock, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has now stated that the triple lock will not the honoured this year and that changes will be made to how pension increases will be calculated.
The excuses and rational for reneging on the manifesto commitment, is the anticipated rise in average earnings as worker move form furlough to full wages. The Bank of England estimates this will equate to an 8% rise in average earnings.
Already the rhetoric of unfairness is in the media and it’s that unfairness card that the Tories will play to justify breaking away from the Pension Triple Lock manifesto commitment. It feeds into the already false narrative that pensioners in the UK are well off and are better off at the expense of tax payers and to the detriment of the younger generation.
This unfairness narrative fuels division and allows the government to abdicate responsibility for delivering for all sectors, whether young or old, working or not working. The reality is that compared with many of our pensioner counterparts in Europe, our pension level is low and many pensioners in the UK live in poverty. Since the pension triple lock was introduced in 2012, the highest rise has been 5% with most annual increases being around 2.5%. Conference calls on the Executive Council to mount a vigorous campaign to protect the Pension Triple Lock and ensure that it is restored at the earliest opportunity and to work alongside the NPC, SPF (Scottish Pensioners Forum), TUC, Labour Party and to mobilise support for the campaign across all sectors of the union.
Emergency Motion #3: Housekeeping and Hospitality and Unite’s use of hotels
Conference notes that hotels used by delegates during Policy Conference have a policy of not offering daily housekeeping, guests are required to opt in.
Conference calls on the Executive Council to ensure that all future block bookings made for Unite will require the hotel to provide daily housekeeping.
Conference also demands that housekeeping is provided on a daily basis at all Unite hospitality premises.
Conference calls on Unite to campaign against this threat to hotel housekeepers’ livelihoods and occupational health and safety by:
- informing sister organisations of this threat to hotel housekeepers’ livelihoods and asking them to adopt policies of requiring hotels they use for events to provide daily housekeeping
- raising public awareness, scientific evidence shows that cleaning hotel rooms yields similar public health benefits as cleaning other parts of the hotel
- campaigning for decent working conditions and collective agreements in hospitality.
Unite Policy Conference 2021 – day four
Below is an update on Thursday’s business. #UPC2021 finished off the motions on Rights for Workers and their Unions and debated motions on Social Action and Organising, Global Solidarity, International & Europe, and heard from Frances O’Grady – TUC General Secretary and Tom Conway – President of the United Steel Workers. See previous posts for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. These posts also include links to key documents including the text of motions.
Rights for Workers and their Unions
Motion 104 – ILO convention on violence and harassment – agreed
Motion 105 – The Surveillance Society – agreed
Motion 106+A – The Surveillance Society – agreed
Social Action
Composite 18 (motions 111+A, 113+A) National Health Service – agreed
Motion 110 National Health Service – agreed
Motion 112 National Health Service – agreed
Motion 119 National Health Service – agreed
Composite 19 (motions 117, 118) Local Authority Cuts – agreed
Motion 114 Local Authority Cuts – agreed
Motion 115 Local Authority Cuts – agreed
Motion 116 Local Authority Cuts – agreed
Motion 120+A Public Services – agreed
Motion 121 End Unfair Evictions – agreed
Motion 122+A Accessible Welfare – agreed
Motion 123 Digitisation and Welfare – agreed
Motion 124 Digitisation and Welfare – agreed
Motion 126 Care Homes – agreed
Motion 127 Care Homes – agreed
Motion 125 Unfair Overdraft Charges – agreed
Motion 129 Power of Attorney – agreed
Emergency Motion 2 Campaign against cuts to face to face debt advice services (see below for text) – agreed
Organising
Composite 11 (motions 79, 80, 81) Precarious Workers – agreed
Motion 137 Precarious Workers – agreed
Motion 83 Organising Young Workers – agreed
Motion 136 National Youth Co-ordinator – agreed
Motion 78 Organising in Hospitality and Tourism – agreed
Global Solidarity, International & Europe
Motion 43 Brexit & Ireland – agreed
Motion 44 Brexit & Gibraltar – agreed
Composite 6 (motions 45, 46) The Post Brexit World – agreed
Composite 7 (motions 47, 48) The Post Brexit World – agreed
Composite 8 (motions 50, 51) The Post Brexit World – agreed
Motion 49 The Post Brexit World – remitted
Motion 107 The Post Brexit World – agreed
Motion 108 The Post Brexit World – agreed
Motion 52 Black Lives Matter – agreed
Motion 53 India & Kashmir – agreed
Motion 54+A Palestine – agreed
Motion 55 IHRA – fell
Motion 57 Latin America – agreed
Motion 58 Latin America – agreed
Motion 59 Turkey/Kurds – agreed
Emergency Motion 2 Campaign against cuts to face to face debt advice services
Conference notes that the Money & Pensions Service (MaPS) funds much of the debt advice provision across England. The recommissioning process for contracts beginning April 2022 closed on 15th October, and has already led to proposed job cuts across the sector.
Conference further notes the new contracts will result in 50-60% cuts to face-to-face community-based debt advice at a time when demand for debt advice will increase sharply due to the cuts to Universal Credit, increasing energy bills and National Insurance.
Conference believes that debt advisers are already facing higher demand and having to deal with more complex cases than ever before. A workforce of well qualified, highly specialised, dedicated para-legal professionals is already overwhelmed and demoralised by the current MaPS contract which focuses on high volume targets and intensive quality assurance that combine to leave insufficient time for advisers to deal with complex cases.
Conference further believes that debt is not just a symptom of individual financial difficulty, it is also a symptom of systematic failure. It is a failure to redesign the ways in which our economy and wider society works to free people from poverty and isolation and give everyone a decent life. Problem debt needs to be part of wider conversations about the rising living costs that people are facing; the expansion of unstable or poorly paid work and declining social security protections
Conference welcomes the new Unite Debt Advice Network (UDAN) has been formed, connecting debt advisers across the country to campaign on national threats to pay and conditions.
Conference calls on the Executive to organise a high profile campaign to demand the following:
- suspend all recommissioning for at least 12 months to allow independent research into future demand
- Immediate suspension of the bureaucratic quality-monitoring process (‘DAPA’)
- support the work of Unite’s Debt Advice Network campaign to oppose the MaPS recommissioning
- use all Unite media and social media platforms to explain the recommissioning process and the impact this will have on debt advice services
- campaign for increased funding for face-to-face community-based debt advice , not cut, in any resumed recommissioning
- ensure future decisions by MaPS about debt advice jobs and services include consultation with Unite.
Unite Policy Conference 2021 – day three
Below is an update on Wednesday’s business. #UPC2021 finished off the remaining motions on Covid-19 and the Coronavirus Crisis then debated Equalities, heard from Andy McDonald MP – the former Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights – about his resignation from the front bench and the fight against Fire & Rehire, said farewell to Len McCluskey – who gave an emotional speech, and debated Rights for Workers and their Unions, and Pensions & Retirement. See previous posts for Monday and Tuesday.
Covid-19 and the Coronavirus Crisis
Motion 154 Covid-19, Cash and Bank Branches – agreed
Motion 161 Care in the Community – agreed
Equalities
Composite 5 (motions 39, 40, 41) Migrant Workers – agreed
Motion 38 Migrant Workers – agreed
Motion 42 Migrant Workers – agreed
Motion 22 Unite and Equalities – agreed
Motion 23 + A1 + A2 Unite and Equalities – agreed
Motion 24 + A Equality Reps – agreed
Motion 25 Paternity Leave – agreed
Motion 26 Domestic Abuse – agreed
Motion 27 Unite Women’s Network – agreed
Motion 28 Abortion Rights – agreed
Motion 135 BAEM Employment with Unite – agreed
Motion 82 Growing Unite and BAEM members – agreed
Motion 29 Independent Living – agreed
Motion 30 Jobs for those with Disabilities/Scotland – agreed
Motion 31 Disabled People / Buses – agreed
Motion 32 TUC Disability Passport – agreed
Motion 33 Social Model of Disability – agreed
Motion 34 Disability Related Absence – agreed
Motion 35 Commercialisation of Pride – agreed
Motion 36 LGBT+ Sexual Harassment – agreed
Motion 37 LGBT+ Education – agreed
Rights for Workers and their Unions
Composite 16 (motions 99, 100, 101) Anti-union laws – agreed
Motion 98 + A1 + A2 Anti-union laws – agreed
Motion 102 Agency Worker Regulations – agreed
Election results
The following were elected as the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) for the 7th Policy Conference (2023): Lorraine M (East Midlands), Frances H (Ireland), James M (London & Eastern), John K (North East, Yorkshire & Humber), Trevor V (North West), Isabella S (Scotland), Naomi G (South East), Tracy D (South West), Lisa H (Wales) and Vanessa W (West Midlands).
The following were elected as the Appeals Committee 2021-3: Dean C (East Midlands), Keith R (Ireland), Kingsley A (London & Eastern), Angela M (North East, Yorkshire & Humber), Pat C (North West), John G (Scotland), Gaynor W (South East), Caroline B (South West), Ivan M (Wales) and Caroline F (West Midlands).
Unite Policy Conference – day two
Tuesday of UPC2021 was dominated by a presentation and Q&A session with Sharon Graham, the new General Secretary. Conference also discussed motions on Economy & Industry, and Covid-19 and the Coronavirus crisis. Most of the key documents were published here. The texts of Composite motions are here and the accounts are here.
Sharon Graham’s presentation
There’s a copy of Sharon Graham’s presentation here.
Economy & Industry
Motion 16 Working Time – agreed
Motion 17 Modern Industrial Nation – agreed
Motion 18+A Trade Union Facility Time – agreed
Motion 19 Employment Charter – agreed
(Amendment fell – no mover)
Motion 20 Road from Casualisation – agreed
Motion 21 Fair Tips – agreed
Covid-19 and the Coronavirus crisis
Motion 145 A New Deal in the Post Covid World – agreed
Motion 150 A New Deal in the Post Covid World – agreed
Motion 151 A New Deal in the Post Covid World – remitted
Motion 152 A New Deal in the Post Covid World – agreed
Composite 21 (motions 146, 147) Organising Post Covid – agreed
Motion 162 Organising Post Covid – agreed
Composite 22 (motions 147, 153, 155) Covid-19 Sick Pay and Support – agreed
Composite 23 (motions 149, 156) Covid-19 and Mental Health – agreed
Composite 24 (motions 157, 158, 159) Covid-19 and Equalities – agreed
Motion 160 Covid-19 and Equalities – agreed
Motion 144 New Ways of Communicating / Meeting – agreed
Unite Policy Conference 2021 – day one
Unite’s Policy Conference, delayed from 2020, got underway yesterday. We previously shared the key conference documents and the leaflet Unite Rank & File supporters are distributing at conference. On day one, the conference debated the Green Industrial Revolution, Improving Health and Safety and some of the motions on Economy and Industry.
Green Industrial Revolution
Composite 9 Climate Change and Just Transition (motions 60, 61, 62+A, 65, 68, 71, 74) – agreed
Composite 10 Climate Emergency (motions 64, 66, 69, 70+A73), – agreed
Unite Rank & File supporters campaigned to support Composite 10 on the Climate Emergency which included commitments to support climate strikes and to mobilise for the protests around COP26.
Motion 63 Balanced Energy Policy – agreed
Motion 67 Fuel Poverty – agreed
Motion 141 Greening Unite – agreed
Improving Health and Safety
Motion 75 Mental Health – agreed
Motion 134 Mental Health / Reps’ Training – agreed
Economy and Industry
Composite 1 Manufacturing Matters (motions 1, 2+A, 3, 4, 5, 6) – agreed
Motion 7 Manufacturing Matters – agreed
Composite 2 Collective Bargaining (motions 8+A1+A2+A3, M9) – agreed
Composite 3 Automation & Digitisation (motions 10, 11, 12, 13+A) – agreed
Composite 4 Apprenticeships & Skills (motions 14, 15) – agreed
Leaflet for 6th Unite Policy Conference 2021
This weekend delegates from across the UK, Ireland and Gibraltar will gather in Liverpool for Unite’s 6th Policy Conference. The final agenda suggests there should be some lively and important debates.
Unite Rank and File has produced a leaflet highlighting some of the key issues. If you’re at conference, please help distribute it
Unite membership figures by sector December 2020
Unite membership figures from the Unite Executive Council’s report, December 2020
Automotive Industries 72,453
Aerospace & Shipbuilding 63,238
Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Process and Textiles 43,134
Civil Air Transport 65,892
Community Youth workers and not for profit 42,985
Docks, Rail, Ferries & Waterways 17,228
Education 17,335
Energy and Utilities 32,485
Engineering, Manufacturing and Steel 57,753
Finance and Legal 61,559
Food Drink and Agriculture 63,589
Government, Defence, Prisons & Contractors 10,751
Graphical Paper and Media & Information Technology 36,810
Health 88,770
Local Authorities 61,783
Passenger Transport 76,861
Road Transport Commercial, Logistics and Retail Distribution 62,619
Service Industries 50,564
Unite Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians 68,083
Community 14,971
Unknown 6,668
Retired 65,503
Total 1,081,034
Unite 6th Policy Conference October 2021 documents
Unite 6th Policy Conference takes place in Liverpool from Monday 18th October 2021 to Friday 22nd October 2021
Agenda and other key documents below
Unite 6th Policy Conference Final Agenda ( excluding emergency motions )
COMPLETE UNITE 6th Policy Conference FINAL AGENDA Standing Orders Report Policy Conference 2021 STANDING ORDERS REPORT Policy Conf 2021 Unite Executive Council Report to 6th Policy Conference Unite Executive Council Report to 6th Policy Con 2021 Unite Implementation Report 6th Policy Conference 2021 COMPLETE Unite Implementation Report 6th Policy Conference 2021