Report of UNISON National Executive Council 12th February 2025

As is the case every year, the February NEC meeting was largely taken up with discussions around NEC motions to National Delegate Conference. The General Secretary sent apologies for the meeting.

Presidential Team report

Before we got to that part of the agenda, we received a report from the Presidential Team on the activity they have been involved in since the last NEC meeting. The Presidential Team of Steve North, Julia Mwaluke and Lyn Marie O’Hara continues to support the various service group and self-organised group conferences that make our union so unique and inclusive, while attending picket lines and demonstrations in support of UNISON members and other trade unionists across all regions. President Steve North was particularly proud to report that he had recently attended his own North West Regional Council, where a £10,000 donation was made towards his Presidential Project, Salford Women’s Centre.

Wes Streeting invite

In the discussion that followed the Presidential Team report, concerns were raised about the invite to Wes Streeting to address this year’s UNISON Health Conference. While recognising that the Health Service Group Executive had the right to offer such an invite, numerous NEC members raised serious concerns about the message this would send to Trans members, after an incredible successful Year of LGBT+ workers, and others highlighted Streeting’s support for privatisation and the lack of progress on delivering a National Care Service.

National Delegate Conference motions

The NEC by convention submits only 12 motions to NDC, so that conference retains proper space for regional and branch motions. Various NEC committees are able to bring forward motions to be considered as part of the 12 and this year a motion was raised for consideration by the Presidential Team at the request of the National Retired Members Committee.

The motions that the NEC will take to Conference are on the following subjects:

1. Organising to Win & Delivering a decade of growth
2. Learning develops our activists – promoting clear pathways and support
3. Building on our wins: how we resource our industrial action
4. Building for the future: how we resource what we do
5. Building support for a Palestinian State
6. Time for the UK to promote universal quality public services in the global South
7. Defending our NHS
8. Rise of the far right
9. Public services, living standards, and the economy after the 2024 General Election
10. Backing the Employment Rights Bill
11. Climate Change in UNISON 2025 – turning commitments into actions
12. A union of 1.5 million members is a fighting and winning union

The final motion, “A union of 1.5 million members is a fighting and winning union” was proposed by the Presidential Team and then agreed by the NEC. It aims to consider the vital role retired members play in UNISON and engage the whole union in a consultation on how we can secure their best possible involvement, given that many currently feel excluded from how our union functions. The motion seeks to explore how the union can better mobilise its substantial retired membership of 170,000 members into a campaigning force that can win for members and citizens alike.

Not all NEC members agreed with this motion or its place on the list of 12. Some NEC members voted against it, but a majority voted for it. Concerns were raised in the debate by some NEC members that having the retired members motion would mean the sixth ranked motion from the Policy Development and Campaigns Committee (PDCC) on migrant workers would not be debated.

It is probably worth explaining why the NEC decided to prioritise the retired members motion, given those concerns.

Firstly, during the discussion, it was reported that a number of branches, regions and SOGs intended to submit motions on the issues facing migrant workers. The NEC therefore recognised that the exploitation of migrant workers, particularly in social care is an issue that will be discussed and debated at NDC. Recognition that this matter will be discussed at Conference was reflected by the decision of the Policy committee to give this motion a lower prioritisation than others regarding consideration as to whether it should be one of the 12 proposed to Conference by the NEC. 

Secondly, the motion on retired members was proposed following a vote by the AGM of the National Retired Members to ask the NEC to put this forward. National Retired Members Committee was not in a position to submit this motion to Conference themselves, having already determined their motions at their conference last year. Unlike with the issues that concern migrant workers, there was no other way for this retired members motion to proceed. Either the NEC proposed it or it wouldn’t be debated. The NEC felt that to deny the elected representatives of 170,000 retired members that support would further reinforce the idea that many retired members hold, that they are not valued by our union. 

Thirdly, it’s worth bearing in mind that the Presidential Team that proposed the submission of the retired members motion, features a Vice President, Julia Mwaluke, who is herself a low-paid Black migrant care worker. Julia and UNISON President Steve North are both members of Salford City UNISON, the first branch in the union to secure support from a council leader to implement UNISON’s Social Care Migrant Workers Charter. Their commitment to this issue is clear and it is joined by the equal commitment of the other Vice President, Lyn Marie O’Hara, a low paid woman who has fought for years for justice for women workers in Glasgow, many of them migrant workers.

Conference will of course have the final say on all these motions. Once the motions were agreed, we looked at a few important rule changes that will come to this year’s National Delegates Conference. None were contentious and hopefully delegates will understand why the NEC feel them to be necessary once they see them published.

Service group updates

We then moved to Service Group updates where we were given a rundown of the current position regarding pay claims and, in the case of Higher Education, a live pay ballot. Questions were raised as to why we did not yet have a date for a national demonstration on Local Government funding, given the decision by Conference last year to organise one. The NEC was informed by officers that following a consultation with regions, it was felt it would be difficult to pull this together in the Spring. The NEC remains committed to making this demonstration happen because we know the impact on the ground of funding cuts and, as you will see from the motion we intend to take to Conference, we expect to see this by Autumn 2025, with the potential for a demo outside Labour Party Conference itself if our Conference agrees.

Organising to Win

Reports on Organising to Win from the Chair of Development and Organising Andrea Egan show that this work goes from strength to strength. Our union is growing, getting stronger and putting money into members’ pockets. This is something we can all be incredibly proud of.

Finance report

We moved on to the report from the Finance and Resource Management Committee Chair Dan Sartin who told the NEC it could be pleased that our income is growing as a result of improved recruitment and retention over the lest few years, but that we shouldn’t take our eye off the ball and must continue to ensure that members’ subs are used as effectively as possible.

Staffing Committee

The NEC then took a vote to replace an outgoing member of the Staffing Committee with a Black woman NEC member. Chair of Staffing Steve North explained that the vacancy was specifically promoted to Black women members as part of the Staffing Committee’s commitment to UNISON’s Black Staff Network to try and ensure Black representation on all interview panels for UNISON jobs. This is even more important now that sufficient progress has been made in the Staffing Review to move to permanent recruitment of Regional Organisers into what the NEC is assured will be genuine organising roles. Julia Mwaluke won the vote and was therefore elected to join the Staffing Committee. The NEC further agreed that even though the Staffing Committee was now one of the most diverse committees of the NEC, if it was still not possible to secure Black representation on a particular panel, a request would go out to other Black NEC members to see if they wanted to join. If this didn’t work, the Staffing Committee would relinquish one of the places on the panel to provide a place for a Black member of staff.

Services to Members

The NEC then heard from the Chair and Vice Chair of Services to Members, Mark Wareham and Christine Collins respectively on the work that committee has been doing to ensure UNISON’s contracts with external providers are compliant with our ethical commitments. This followed the fantastic victory in securing ethical commitments from the ACC in Liverpool allowing us to resume booking conferences with them going forwards.

Following final reports, the meeting finished bang on time to allow NEC members to get their trains to Women’s Conference in Edinburgh!

Report of UNISON National Executive Council 4th December 2024

General Secretary report

NEC members received a report from the general secretariat. The report highlighted the following:

• The ongoing Employment Rights Bill, which is currently going through the committee stages in Parliament.
• UNISON’s commitment to calling for workplace days of action calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East and is actively pushing for the recognition of a two-state solution for Palestine.
• Recruitment efforts over the past year surpassed 200,000, with Northern Ireland seeing a 15% growth in membership over the last two years. Growth is coming particularly within the social care sector.
• UNISON has successfully secured over £100 million for NHS staff through its Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign.
• An update was shared regarding a Court of Appeal case, Hewston v Ofsted, where a UNISON member was dismissed for brushing rain off a child’s head. Ofsted is contemplating an appeal to the Supreme Court.
• A disabled delegate was concerned at the lack of official communications made by UNISON on the International Day of Disabled People. Undertakings were given to remedy this. The Communications sub-committee of the Policy Development & Campaigns Committee had not met for some time, and this will be rectified. The chair of PDCC has asked for quarterly meetings to be established for 2025.
• Concerns about the Edinburgh Conference venue were raised and the plans to mitigate these at future bookings were described e.g. lift stewarding, and so on.
• The impact of Employer’s NI on public sector employers, particularly in Adult Social Care which manages multiple contracts with external care providers, was raised. Assurances were given by officers that meetings had been held with ministers to underline UNISON’s concerns about this issue and local government funding generally.

Presidential Team Report

The presidential team gave a report to the meeting:

• UNISON President Steve North spoke at a Stop the War meeting held in London outlining UNISON’s continued support for the campaign and UNISON’s demands for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, a two-state political solution, suspension of arm sales to Israel and the prosecution of war crimes in international law. 
• In October, Salford City Council became the first to sign up to the Migrant Care Workers Charter. This was a proud moment for Steve and Julia Mwaluke, Vice-President, who are both officers at Salford City branch. 
• Between October and December, the presidential team attended the Disabled Members conference in Brighton, the LGBT+ conference in Edinburgh and Young Members Conference in Swansea.
• Lyn-Marie O’Hara, Vice-President, attended the Scottish Care Conference in Glasgow in November. The event was the first of its kind, due to the fantastic level of campaigning and organising going on in this sector.
• In November, Steve met with participants in UNISON’s Seacole Programme for Black Staff. The Seacole participants commented positively on the support they have received from the NEC but are asking us and the General Secretariat to do more to ensure commitment to racial diversity at all levels of the union is mandated from the top down through all regions and departments.

Organising update

This was introduced by Andrea Egan, chair of the Development & Organisation Committee of the NEC.

• Net membership growth was reported to the NEC of 40,667 (as at 25th November). This represents 3.3% net growth so far in the year and is unprecedented. The contribution of the Organising to Win strategy has been key.
• Activist recruitment of +3,975 was recruited, which seems likely to surpass 2023 growth.
• One delegate from the North West commented that UNISON needs to quickly adopt systems to report its organising wins and industrial action wins in cash terms. Other unions report their wins in cash terms and this is considered to be effective.

 Industrial Action

• The NEC sent out messages of solidarity to striking members across the country, including members from Livv Housing in Knowsley, North West region. It was reported that the Industrial Action Committee agreed to additional resources to support the Livv Housing striking workers.
• In November, Steve and Julia were able to lend support to striking workers in Greater Manchester Mental Health branch, as well as striking Park Homes care workers in their own branch in Salford.

Finance update

• The meeting was presented with a positive financial report which gave details of UNISON’s accounts for the first 10 months of the year to 31st October 2024.
• Subscription income is significantly ahead of budget.
• The net result is a surplus at this point in the year compared to a budgeted deficit, which is obviously good news and to be welcomed.
• The budget for 2025 was presented and was unanimously passed.
• The chair of the Finance and Resource Management Committee of the NEC, Dan Sartin, after giving the finance report took questions:
• On the rise in employers’ NI, which branches who employ staff would have to pick up, but the impact of this would be monitored.
• That the Finance Committee is looking at the issues of the Band K subs rate, increasingly conscious that this band contains a growing number of our members on a wide range of salary points.
• That the Finance Committee is overseeing a number of ‘Invest to Save’ initiatives, the most recent of which was the adoption at the previous Committee meeting of a regional accommodation strategy.
• It was reported by the chair that UNISON will continue to use the ACC Liverpool for conferences after successfully contesting the venue’s hosting of an arms fair. This resulted in a commitment by ACC Liverpool not to hold such events again and to adopt an ethical bookings policy in line with UNISON’s. The venue undertook not to repeat such bookings and if it was ever in doubt, to approach UNISON for advice before agreeing bookings in future.
• This was seen as a considerable win for the union, and the NEC looked forward to maintaining its relationship with the city for our events into the future.

Other key issues

Race Discrimination Enquiry

• NEC members received updates on the union’s race discrimination inquiry and engaged in extensive discussions concerning efforts to combat racism.
• The Review’s recommendations had been agreed by consensus, and included plans for challenging racism training expected to roll out in early 2025, a review of the Race Protocol, and a review of the union’s complaints procedures.
• The General Secretary would be working with the Presidential Team to develop an Implementations Plan.
• The chair of the Services to Members Committee of the NEC, Mark Wareham, commented also that his Committee’s work would be relevant to many of the recommendations, including its work on a review of our Legal Services.

Zane’s Law

• UNISON will be meeting with Keir Starmer to urge him to make time to legislate for Zane’s Law.
• An honorary life membership will be awarded to Zane’s parents as agreed at NDC 2024 during which the Zane’s Law motion was passed. 

COP29

• A report was received from Tony Wright, chair of the Policy Development & Campaigns Committee, who attended COP29 as a delegate in Baku, Azerbaijan.

South Korea

• A statement from UNISON was agreed regarding the recent declaration of martial law by the president of South Korea. This statement can be found on the UNISON national website.

 

Report of UNISON National Executive Council 16th October 2024

The President Steve North welcomed everyone to the meeting.

A delegate reminded officers of the standing orders for NEC meetings, developed by the NEC, as several papers were late for the meeting, including a detailed report issued the night before the meeting and another paper issued the night before which would later prove to incomplete.

The President commented that an investigation was underway on complaints submitted mainly by Police, Probation and CAFCASS (PP&C, formerly Police & Justice) members following Conference. Interviews were taking place and it would be inappropriate to comment at the current time. Findings would be brought to the NEC meeting in December. The President commented on his good experience chairing the PP&C conference in Llandudno the previous week.

The President presented a gift from the NEC (glassware) purchased by NEC members for former President Libby Nolan to mark her previous year in the role.

General Secretary report

• We have a new Labour government since the last NEC meeting, and the difference in access and consultation is stark
• We expect a big impact on our members from the SSSNB (School Support Staff Negotiating Body) and new sectoral pay arrangements for care workers
• As at 16th October, net membership growth across the union was 36,000 with 4,000 new activists. The general secretary thanked Unison staff for this achievement.
• The general secretary visited the West Bank to bring a solidarity message to the Palestinians. We discussed how we can keep the momentum generated by the Palestine rallies developing. Trade union support is key in this aim, and also in putting pressure on the Labour government.
• NEC members received a report on the general election results from an Assistant General Secretary. The NEC was told that where Unison campaigned, returned Labour MPs had a larger majority and the Labour Party was referring to this as ‘the Unison effect’
• NEC members received a report on the Employment Rights Bill. The Bill is 150 pages long, with 100 pages of explanatory notes and a ‘Next steps’ document
• UNISON fed into this legislation through the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum
• Most of the provisions will become effective in 2026
• It is Britain-wide and not applicable to Northern Ireland, which has its own framework already (which is not as restrictive as that in England, Wales and Scotland)
• There will be a Single Enforcement Body so that employment tribunals are not clogged up with workers trying to enforce their new rights
• There are improvements to facility time
• There is a new recognised role of equality rep

Questions to the General Secretary report

• If zero hours contracts need to be agreed with the employer, they can still be exploitative. Unison needs to be vigilant; we are in favour of flexible hours, not zero hours contracts.
• Concern that we may see our priorities watered down through the consultation process.
• The vice-chair of the National Labour Link Forum said he we need to hold Labour’s feet to the fire on local government funding.
• A delegate from Birmingham expressed shock at the cuts planned there. The budget was vital: our members need to have hope. What had happened to the local government demonstration NDC passed, which was to be held before the end of the year.
• The general secretary raises local government funding at every opportunity she gets, including with the Chancellor who she has seen.
• A delegate raised the need for Unison to work to change the narrative on immigration with the Labour party e.g. promoting safe routes, so it did not fall into the trap of reinforcing Reform and right-wing messaging.
• One delegate praised the role of the police in combatting racism and the far right in Stockport this summer. Their daughter had left the NHS due to misogyny, so misogyny was not just a police issue.
• Collective employment rights are as important as individual rights, but the former are not nearly sufficient in the ER Bill.
• One delegate raised that there was still a lot to play for in the ER Bill, with opportunities to strengthen collective and individual rights, and to tighten up timescales for implementation. They asked that the NEC’s Policy Committee would have oversight of the detail of UNISON’s consultation response and be involved in its development and sign off, given the importance of the consultation phase in improving the bill and need for lay input. This assurance was given by the general secretary.
• A delegate from the North West called for mobilisation of branches and members on October 26th on the anti-fascist demonstration called. It was important not to allow a far-right street movement to develop alongside Farage/Reform. By turning out in large numbers we can demoralise and defeat the fascists. UNISON has to do more to get members involved in these mass campaigns.

Presidential Team report

• President, Steve North, sent solidarity messages to our members taking industrial action.
• The President’s Charity for 2024/25 will be the Salford Women’s Centre, and branches were encouraged to donate. Also in Salford, the President raised the issue of Salford Council being the first to sign the Migrant Workers Charter, a real success for UNISON.
• The NEC discussed the anti-fascist rally on 26th October in London. It will be the trade union movement that can be a bulwark against this rise in Right Wing activity. Over a decade of austerity has helped to create the conditions for these views to grow, and trade unions need to be leading activity to educate our members.
• The ongoing crisis in funding for Local Government is a real threat to our members and UNISON needs to prepare for campaigns to protect these vital services.
• We discussed Wiltshire Community NHS services being privatised, with the Labour Government not intervening to prevent this.
• The NEC agreed to award honorary Unison membership to the parents of Zane Gbangbola for their work on the Truth About Zane campaign.

Organising to Win

• The NEC received a detailed report on the Organising to Win work underway, which included the 36,000 net membership growth and 4,000 reps figures cited previously.
• 100 new BSOF organisers work alongside these new reps to help us sustain growth.
• This success is rooted in the industrial action over the last 12 months, with Unison winning over £100 million in wages for our members.
• One delegate from Greater London stated that our policies on pay and Palestine have attracted new members to our union. The mark of a trade union will be how we organise these new members.

Service Group update

• Pay campaigns in the NHS and Local Government were discussed. The Anti-Trade Union laws are cutting across our ability to reach the 50% threshold in larger disputes.
• The Health SGE recommended that members accept the 5.5% award from the Government and focus on next year’s pay campaign. There was a 30% turnout with 76% accepting the recommendation.  The RCN took a different approach by not recommending acceptance and received a larger turnout rejecting the offer.
• We await the results from the Local Government pay ballot.
• One delegate raised that the impact of local government cuts will affect the Labour government’s whole agenda e.g. housing targets won’t be met if councils cannot plan effectively, etc.

Industrial Action report

• The report was received and discussed. We need to look at ways of supporting the vital Industrial Action fund. Industrial action is an important way to recruit, and it also adds vitality by creating new activists and bringing them into the labour movement.

Finance report

• The management accounts for the first 8 months (January to August) were received, discussed and approved.
• Working groups of the finance committee are looking at the union’s income and expenditure, financial governance issues within branches, and considering how we should resource our work. These working groups will report to the Finance Committee and the NEC in due course.

Other discussions and decisions

• The election rules to be used for NEC elections in 2025 were agreed. A delegate from the South West asked that branches be given a snapshot of their membership in service groups at the new point in the timetable this eligibility to nominate is to be confirmed.
• A vote was held to agree that NEC Local Government and Health Male seats would be converted to General seats, in line with the Conference decision on NEC Regional seats becoming General seats. It was explained that it is custom and practice for service group seat proportionality to follow regional proportionality (only the latter of which is prescribed in the Rulebook). 34 were in favour, 8 against, with 3 abstentions.
• The NEC agreed to service group by-elections for 40 unfilled seats, in line with the Rulebook requirement. The timetable for by-elections had not been circulated with the paperwork which caused some concern, but the vote was carried.

Report of UNISON National Executive Council 23rd May 2024

1. General Secretary’s report

• The General Secretary raised the Local Government and Mayoral Election results, which were positive for Labour. She commented that a number of members and UNISON staff would be standing as candidates in the forthcoming general election.
• The General Secretary asked the NEC to invite Angela Rayner or another front bench Labour MP to address National Delegate Conference in June, explaining that it would help to strengthen the Labour Party election campaign and get rid of the Tory Government. The NEC had a comprehensive and comradely discussion on this proposal. A number of NEC members mentioned that we should only have conference addressed by MPs that voted for a ceasefire in Gaza and supported UNISON policies. This is an important issue, with 76% of the population calling for a ceasefire. The point was made that many good Labour Party activists had been expelled or resigned from the party over the position that the leadership has taken on Gaza. There were also concerns raised about the Labour Party leadership ‘rowing back’ from commitments on the New Deal For Working People. It was felt by many NEC members that we needed an MP that supported the critical SNP motion for a ceasefire. An alternative proposal was put forward, detailing that 56 Labour MPs voted to support the SNP motion on a Gaza ceasefire, and that we should invite one of these MPs. A few names were mentioned including Yasmin Qureshi and Paula Barker, the latter of whom had been a UNISON regional convenor before being elected to Parliament. The particular MP invited should be decided by the Presidential team. The NEC voted on the proposals. The General Secretary’s proposal was defeated: 24 For and 31 Against. The second proposal made by an NEC member was successful: 32 For and 21 Against, with 1 abstention.
• Other issues were discussed arising from the General Secretary’s report. There are two NHS Trusts out on strike at the moment, with Healthcare Assistants struggling for better pay. It was agreed to send a solidarity message from the NEC.
• An NEC member asked for the union’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) guidance to be circulated to branches, so more members can get involved.
• The NEC agreed to send a solidarity message to the Peace Camps springing up at universities and colleges.
• The NEC discussed the state of Local Government services and finances, and our pay campaign. Our union will need to add pressure on the new government on these issues.

2. President’s Report

• The President was thanked for her efforts in attending the rallies in Birmingham against the cuts to services there. There are massive cuts proposed on services, but there is no openness or honesty from the Council. This is very confusing and upsetting for our members.
• The Vice-President’s marathon run in aid of Medical Aid for Palestinians was a great success, raising over £5,000.
• The NEC discussed the Barnet Mental Health Social Workers’ strike campaign. They are looking at nine weeks’ strike action now. A solidarity message from the NEC was agreed.

3. NEC Committee motions and amendments for NDC were passed.

4. NDC Planning: The International Rally will be on Tuesday evening and conference will be addressed by the Palestinian Ambassador.

5. Motion to Support Student Peace Camps. The NEC had a comradely discussion on the issues, with points being made by NEC members that we needed to condemn the violence from police in the USA.

6. Development & Organisation Committee report: the Organising To Win strategy is producing positive results. Net new membership so far in 2024 was 20,000, exceeding our target for 2024 and surpassing our 2023 outcome of 6,800 net new members. All parts of the union are working hard to sustain this. All regions and all service groups were now in net positive growth. Reports from branches taking strike action indicated a significant increase in membership.

7. Industrial Action Committee report: There are two main areas of action, Healthcare Assistants in NHS Trusts and Teaching Assistants in Academy Schools. This year over £70 million backpay has been won by Healthcare Assistants in NHS Trusts who have taken strike action. Officers are looking at how to facilitate some strikers to attend NDC, but the cost and time were reported by officers to be a potential block on this.

8. Finance Committee report: The Financial Statements for 2023 were received and passed by the NEC, as were the management accounts for January-March 2024.

 

Report of UNISON National Executive Council 17th April 2024

1. General Secretary report

The General Secretary raised a number of issues including the ongoing attacks in Gaza, the social care reforms, the health sector strikes, local government, education sector, Windrush campaign, and the Mercer case, just won by UNISON. At Health Conference, strikers were given a very warm welcome via an online broadcast from a picket line, and we would try and replicate this at National Delegate Conference if at all possible. On the National Care Service, Labour is committed a sectoral pay agreement for care workers to boost pay within the first 100 days of a new government.

Questions and comments to the General Secretary:

Several NEC members raised the issue that ‘not rocking the boat’ before a General Election is not a tactic that we should use. This period will be key for UNISON, and we need to defend against any attacks on members in the most robust way possible, with our actions promoted and publicised. Our industrial action should not be hampered or curtailed by considerations for the Labour Party.

We discussed the attacks on Gaza, calling for a more robust approach from the union, encouraging and supporting local action by branches, and publicly supporting the national demonstrations by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, including the demo on 27 April and on International Workers Day. This will help to build confidence among members. There were calls for the General Secretary to speak at these national events.

We discussed the announcement by the Labour Party that there will not be extra funding for Local Government, posing the question what can UNISON do about this? NEC members discussed the need for the Labour Link National Committee to put pressure on the Labour Party over its position on Local Government funding and the National Care Service. There was concern about the effectiveness of Labour Link to challenge the Labour Party over these issues.

One NEC member raised Wes Streeting’s comments on boosting the use of the private sector within the NHS and any concerns about this being those of ‘middle class lefties’. This NEC member felt we needed a high profile campaign on the importance of retaining the NHS as a public provider.

One NEC member asked when the union would receive the results of its internal KC-led race enquiry (looking at legal and casework support for Black members). An Assistant General Secretary replied that the outcomes should be ready for the June or September meeting.

NEC members raised the issue of Birmingham City Council and Nottingham City Council, which are facing drastic cuts to services and attacks on members. We need a determined response from UNISON to support the members facing these attacks, as well as publicising their struggles and sending solidarity messages. Some NEC members raised these struggles as key priorities for the union in the pre-election period. We discussed the National Care Service and concern at how the Labour Party appears to be rowing back from its commitment. The union’s position is a National Care Service is needed within five years whereas Labour has said it will be for the second term of its government at least. UNISON’s media outputs are praising Labour for supporting a National Care Service but should not sow illusions within our membership, one NEC member stated.

The Cass Review was raised, as it plays a part in the Tory ‘culture wars’ and their anti-Trans rhetoric. The Cass Review is scientifically flawed, one NEC member argued. The Labour Party has also been unsupportive on this issue. NEC members demanded that the union takes a more proactive position to Transphobic rhetoric from the Labour Party. The General Secretary confirmed she would wait the position from the national LGBT+ Committee.

2. Presidential Team report

The President referred to a number of important issues, including Trans rights, Gaza, local government cuts and pay campaigns.

Questions & comments: NEC members discussed the massive cuts that Birmingham City Council is carrying out, with 600 jobs going and 400 vacancies being deleted. The Council is trying to blame trade unions for this situation, because of their successful Equal Pay Claim, but the reality is that over a decade of austerity has cut £1 billion from their budgets, combined with a costly and ill-fated outsourced IT system. There are also attacks on the facility time for the Birmingham UNISON local government branch in the city. This attack is a sign of things to come for other local government branches. NEC members argued we must have a determined response to defend these members from attacks by what is a Labour local authority. An NEC member called for mobilisation to the Birmingham May Day demonstration against the cuts.

The NEC discussed the good work the President has been doing in attending picket lines and supporting the Palestine Solidarity Campaign by speaking at their national Gaza rallies. The union’s focus at Conference could be used to develop the confidence of our branches on pay campaigns. Conference could be an opportunity to share experience and good practice in successful strikes and learn the lessons from all the recent action.

We discussed Women’s Conference, and the President was thanked for highlighting Trans rights and abortion rights in her report. The union needs to be bold in defending these rights publicly, as well as organising against attacks on these fundamental rights.

3. National Delegates Conference business

The NEC agreed to support two appeals to Standing Orders Committee for an NEC motion and rule change it had ruled out of order. The NEC’s position on motions was agreed for Conference, and some amendments were also agreed to NEC motions. This took up a substantial amount of time, as is usual for this meeting in the cycle. The union’s Annual Report for Conference was agreed, though concern expressed about the NEC only receiving this very long document with 24 hours’ notice. It was agreed to circulate earlier in future years.

4. Organising report

The NEC received its regular report on membership trends and organising. Membership grew by a fraction under 7,000 new members net in 2023, an increase of 0.56%. Steward recruitment too was on the up, increasing by a significant 56% in 2023. The union has had three consecutive years of net membership growth.

The early signs in 2024 were good. In the first quarter (January to March), membership had grown by 14,500 members net, exceeding 2023 and 2024’s 1% net growth target already. We are not complacent, but the NEC was encouraged that the union is finding ways to recruit and retain members in months of the year we have traditionally found more challenging. There had been net growth in both February and March 2024 when usually these months see decline in membership.

 

Report of UNISON National Executive Council 14th February 2024

The President opened the meeting covering the following issues.

General Secretary report

• We must and will make the Year of the LGBT+ worker a huge success
• We expect around £100 million in back pay this year for staff due to UNISON equal pay claims
• We are seeing more and more Section 114 notices in local government which will have a terrible impact on our members and the services they provide
• Consultation on the NJC pay claim is complete but now with the GMB.
• The anti-Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 march in Cheltenham had been a good and an upbeat event.
• LNER rail company backed down when they issued MSL notices after ASLEF threatened extra strike days. UNISON is working with ASLEF on this to learn from these tactics.
• Gaza remains a major issue for the union, and we are encouraging branches to donate to MAP and Red Cross and to raise the issue where appropriate.

Questions to General Secretary report

• The NEC members raised issues with the report, starting with the horrendous attacks in Gaza. The  chair of the International Committee was surprised there was no written reference to Gaza in the circulated report. She was pleased the Gen Sec has mentioned it at the end of her verbal report. NEC members discussed the ongoing genocidal attacks in Gaza.  The NEU, PCS and UCU had actively supported the day of action in workplaces. Unison did not back it or produce materials for members and reps like other unions. We need to see Unison step up a gear in time for the next day of action on March 8th. We discussed the BDS policy, and how it needs to be publicised more, but there is a recognition that sanctions will only have a limited impact when imposed by capitalist Governments. Some NEC members raised the issue of using the power of our union to organise, encourage and facilitate our 1.3 million members to get more involved in the campaign for a ceasefire. The trade union movement has the power to organise working class communities to mobilise to support the Palestinian masses. It will take a united trade union movement to build a movement that can hamper the Israeli war machine and force politicians to support a ceasefire, and these efforts will have to be international. The leadership of UNISON need to take a lead role in PSC rallies, but they also need to encourage local branches to get involved in local, regional and national demonstrations. Our efforts also have to recognise the anti-war movement in Israel and we need to look at supporting genuine working class movements challenging the Israeli war machine.
• An NEC member raised Birmingham Council and the possible loss of 600 jobs there which would likely hit Black members the hardest. There are many Councils in a very precarious financial position. We asked what we are doing nationally to coordinate a fight back against council cuts. We also asked that we pressure Labour to fund local government in full and that Labour pledge now to reverse the cuts. Many NEC members felt that equal pay issues were quite separate from the funding crisis at Birmingham Council.  These attacks on Local Government services are an intensification and extension on the austerity politics of the last decade. The very existence of democratic local government control over services is at risk, It will be UNISON members in the front line of these attacks, as well as their service users. UNISON, as the largest public sector union, has to lead the campaign to defend these services, but also to campaign for properly funded Social Care, Education and Health services, under democratic Local Government control.
• A number of NEC members representing Health seats raised that Wes Streeting was making statements to the media which attempted to stoke Transphobia and culture wars within the NHS when this was a non-issue for NHS staff and patients. They felt that Wes Streeting should not be speaking at Unison’s Health Conference when his Transphobic comments are out of step with Unison policy and echo those of the Tories. They understood the Chair of the LGBT+ National SOG had requested this too. As a union, we need to challenge the attacks on the LGBT+ community, but particularly the transphobia of many politicians, and there can be no compromise with these proponents of the “culture wars”.
• An NEC member was concerned about the roll back from the National Care Service announced by the Labour Party recently. Unison had commissioned a report on a roadmap to a NCS. They questioned what had changed since then and whether social care was no longer considered an emergency. A number of NEC members stated we should not be dropping or diluting our policies now because an election is coming and we do not wish to embarrass the Labour Party. The NHS was set up under more trying and testing conditions, so any talk of setting up a NCS being “to complex and difficult” and could not be set up in 5 years, is incorrect. Our union needs to be more confident and robust in challenging the back sliding of the Labour Party on the NCS. Our members in this sector and in Health need to be involved in pushing for this policy, with the union making proper funding in LG and Health the bedrock of their interventions in this General Election year.
• NHS Strike. Clinical support workers had been on long-term strike in the Wirral, and the dispute had been positive and vibrant, achieving 90% density of members. If the members there won their re-ballot, what could be done at a national level to support their dispute? We discussed how to strengthen these disputes and widen them to include the local communities. Good quality Health services provided by the NHS matter to everyone in the community, and our union has to look at widening these disputes to harness the support from local working class communities.

President’s report

• The President introduced her report. Including a report on Gaza, NBM Conference, Higher Education SGE Conference, TUC special meeting on MSL & Cheltenham rally.

Questions to the President’s report

• In the discussion, some of the following points were made by NEC members. Some NEC members felt there was significant disappointment at SOC ruling that Gaza could not be discussed at National Black Members’ Conference on grounds of legal jeopardy. They dispute other NEC members’ claims that the conference had been divided, far from it, the conference was united in wanting to discuss and support Palestine. It was a good Conference, but NEC members felt it was a problem when SOC ruled motions out of order as this meant issues do not get debated within the union and these issues then arise elsewhere. To win rank & file control of our union, we need to continue to challenge the bureaucratic nature of organising conferences and the union in general. Members and delegates must take every opportunity to have their voices heard, even outside the usual procedures and mechanisms.
• The President concluded by stating that NBMC had been the best Unison conference she had ever attended. It was vibrant and political, and showed unity in determination to support the people of Palestine.

Motions to Conference:

The following motions were passed by NEC to go forward to NDC:

1. Organising to Win
2. Union learning
3. Forced labour
4. Palestine (after amendments agreed from a South West delegate, to bring the motion into line with the NEC’s previous statement on Palestine)
5. NCS (after amendments agreed from a North West delegate. The amendment was in response to concern that Labour is diluting its commitment to NCS and that Unison should not lower its own demands in deference to Keir Starmer’s preferred electoral strategy. We should be bold and ambitious and proud of our policies, and not kick our demands into a second Labour term that may never come. The Gen Sec was happy with these amendments and stated that Unison has not changed its policy.)
6. Safe and healthy workplaces
7. Defending the right to strike
8. Climate change (after amendments to seek to secure the reinstatement of the £28 billion Green New Deal investment)
9. Year of LGBT+ Worker
10. Child care (after amendments from an NEC member from Northern region)
11. Bargaining
12. Investment

Organising update

• Membership had increased by 0.56% net in 2023. This was the second consecutive year we had seen net positive growth.
• 4,097 new stewards recruited in 2023. This was a 56% increase on the previous year.
• Record growth of new joiners at 209,000.
• Northern Ireland had seen the highest growth at +10%, due to significant industrial action there.

Questions of the Organising update

1. Given the obvious successes the strategy is having, one NEC member asked why the ’10 reasons to join UNISON’ video released for Heart Unions was pretty much focussed exclusively on servicing reasons. We need a union that is focused on organising our members, it is this process that will enable us to win strike ballots, to challenge local employers and to strengthen the progressive policies of the union and give them an impact in working class communities. Policies that are left on shelves from one year to the next are useless.
2. An NEC member stated that the results were positive. We could not be complacent but were heading in the right direction. Disputes and campaigning supports recruitment but retention is a big challenge. By organising our members we are building a union movement that can win disputes over pay. Pay disputes exposes employers  and enables the union to explain the nature of our class politics. A CEO on £190,000 per year, will have very little in common with a HCA striking to reach a Band 3 in the NHS. These are the opportunities to build the union, but also expose those who condemn us to low pay and poverty.
3. An NEC member representing young members stated that 15% of new joiners were Young Members, an increase which was welcome. They felt it was the Organising to Win strategy that was engaging young members, not the servicing strategy. Young people have been at the sharpest end of the austerity attacks over the last decade, and are a layer of trade unionists that see the strength of organising in the work place to challenge the employer.

Service Group updates

• An NEC member from local government reported on the Scotland FE dispute where our members had won their re-ballot for strike action. It was confirmed that industrial action had recently been approved by the Industrial Action Committee. The whole force of the union has to be focused on winning these disputes, as this will help to build confidence and militancy for the forthcoming battles in Education.
• An NEC member was concerned that the NJC claim did not mirror UNISON policy and only includes the claim for £15 per hour over 2 years. Their local dispute had won £15 per hour precisely because it hooked into UNISON policy and the employer knew this. As a trade union, we need to use the progressive policies we have and make them a reality, rather than aspirational material left on office book shelves.
• The Asst Gen Sec for bargaining responded that the NJC claim results from a series of regional discussions and a process of compromise, sometimes with the other two unions. We don’t always get to keep everything we want. On the current consultation on a Nursing Pay Spine for England, the government had thrown the RCN a sop and all other unions, including Unison, were against it. This is a divide and rule policy by the Tory Government, and we need to highlight this to the rank & file RCN colleagues we work with. It could be a challenge to AfC.

Industrial Action report

• The chair of the Industrial Action Committee reported that there were huge numbers of disputes taking place, more than at any other time in Unison’s history. This has to be a starting point for the direction UNISON takes in the years ahead. Capitalism offers nothing but more austerity, poverty and misery. Union members will have to learn the lessons of the recent disputes and build their forces for the upcoming battles. The main lesson is that withdrawing our labour wins disputes. Organising with our union colleagues, offers a way forward out of the misery being doled out by successive Governments.
• The Vice-Chair of the Industrial Action Committee wanted successful strikers to be invited to Conference this year. An NEC member representing the East Midlands asked that the Ash Field Academy strikers who had run a long and ultimately very successful dispute, be invited to Conference. This would make for inspiring Conference. The theme of the NDC should be “celebrating” those members that have taken strike action, they are at the vanguard of our movement. An NEC member who had had a successful branch dispute asked that the NEC send a message of support to Barnet branch where social workers were out in dispute and currently re-balloting. This dispute would have implications for many branches.
• The Industrial Action Committee was meeting in March and would receive a report on funding. We were looking at how we could automate the payment of strike pay, though this would be complex and a cost would be attached if we proceed. We were also doing more analysis of the costs of disputes. The sheer number of disputes was inevitably placing a strain on the fund. Every part of our union needs to be focused on facilitating the successful conclusion to all industrial action by our members. This is paramount to building the union and making it a rank & file organisation that is fit to lead workers. At the moment our union is learning the lessons on how to be a fighting & militant trade union, but we need to learn these lessons quickly and to learn them well.

Staffing issues

• A report was given by the Chair of Staffing. This included an update on the 2024 pay award process for Unison staff.

 

 

Report of UNISON National Executive Council 6th December 2023

General Secretary Report

The General Secretary raised the situation in Israel-Palestine. There has been an escalation in the violence in Gaza. UNISON policy remains the same, with a call for a ceasefire in our statements and a two-state solution in our policy. She said it was good to see our President speaking at the Palestine solidarity demos.

Regarding the King’s Speech, the General Secretary said tax is ever-increasing, with the tax burden now the highest on record, but there is less and less spending on public services. In N.Ireland there is still no sign of a pay award for our members.

In Scotland, local government have accepted an improved pay offer from the employers. There is a crisis in local government elsewhere, such as Birmingham and Nottingham, where years of Tory austerity is destroying public services.

Health and social care workers: Immigrants applying for visas are under more attacks with the new rules from the Tory government. Many of these workers are getting super exploited and tied to poor private employers.

Minimum Service Levels – the TUC is involved and held a special conference on 8 December to discuss the issue.

Questions and points re Israel/Palestine

We discussed the attacks on Gaza. Over 22,000 people killed in Gaza and over 80% of the population displaced, with attacks on health services, all tell of the massacre in Gaza. We are witnessing some of the “heaviest conventional bombing campaigns in history.”

We need to look at a stronger statement on Gaza, with the Labour Party criticised for not even calling for a ceasefire. We discussed how we can work more closely with other organisations that support the call for a ceasefire. UN investigation of sexual violence is getting no support from the Israeli Government. We should include a call to support anti-war activists in Israeli. Trade unions need to play a more significant role in developing a mass movement to challenge the slaughter in Gaza.

Statement on Palestine strengthened following intervention from NEC members. Read it here: https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2023/12/unison-condemns-the-resumption-of-violence-in-gaza-and-calls-for-an-immediate-ceasefire/

We raised the issue of the Labour Link affiliation to the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM). Some NEC members argued that the JLM supports the policies of the Israeli state, and the affiliation cuts across other policies and statements by UNISON. JLM have been posting on social media, giving the impression that the whole union has affiliated. This needs to be challenged and clarification sought.

Others felt that there should be sanctions available if parts of the union affiliate with organisations that do not support UNISON policy. Another NEC member stated that as the NEC sends 12 elected representatives to the National Labour Link Committee, they should be accountable to the NEC for their decisions there or at least report back on them.

There should be a call to branches to give donations to MAP and PSC, and encourage members to get more involved in the demos, taking their branch banners, etc. It is important that the leadership of the union increases their profile at the solidarity demonstrations. More pressure needs to be created by Labour Link members to force the Labour Party to change its position on a ceasefire.

The chair of the International Committee reported a £5,000 donation to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign had been made.

Questions on part two of general secretary report

We discussed how school staff’s ability to strike will be attacked by the minimum service levels bill. The Ash Field Academy strike has shown how effective strikes can be, and this ability to take strike action is under threat. Matt Wrack from the FBU is calling for opposition and defiance of the bill. Will UNISON do the same? There was a call for a more robust position of defiance against the attacks.

We also discussed the high number of motions at conferences that are ruled out of order, given the experience recently at Young Members conference at which much frustration was reported. Over 70% of motions were ruled out of order at the Young Member and LGBT+ Member conferences. There is something wrong to produce these results and we need to have a clearer rationale for these decisions from Standing Orders Committee.

We had a good discussion on the need to be bolder in our support for Trans rights, with the Labour Party less vocal on the issue, especially with the Tories likely to increase their rhetoric during a general election campaign.

Presidential Team report

The President, Libby Nolan, discussed the conferences that she had attended. At the LGBT+ conference there was a lot of discussion on supporting the Trans community that is under attack. She has received a lot of anti-Trans social media posts. UNISON’s Trans Ally Training has been a real success and needs building upon. She also mentioned that the President`s charity, Swansea Asylum Seekers Service, continues to need our support.

Questions and points: In the discussion we agreed that the union needs to be stronger in its opposition to transphobia, especially in our relationship with the Labour Party. We discussed the ongoing industrial action of the HCAs in Wirral and Warrington, with a need to increase our focus on the Tory anti-trade union laws.

Organising Update

Andrea Egan as chair of the Development & Organisation Committee reported on membership, with a net increase so far this year of 9,346 from 1st January 2023 to 26th November 2023. The health sector has been losing members, even though branches taking industrial action over re-banding have increased membership. There has been a 40% increase in activists recruited since last year. The numbers of members leaving also remains high, and joiners exceeded 200,000 in one year for the first time in UNISON’s history.

Every service group has reported 5 consecutive months of growth. A detailed cost/benefit analysis of the union’s organising activity would be reported at a future meeting.

Questions and points: In the discussion, we heard that Scotland has recruited over 10,000 new members this year, on the back of industrial action, and membership in Wales has also increased. All these figures are offset by the number of members leaving the union, but we have a small net increase overall.

Service Group Pay Campaigns

The report highlighted the ongoing issues with the Northern Ireland Health pay campaign. In the NHS, the Put Our Pay Right Campaign, is getting organised, and the NJC claim for next year will be 10% or £3,000. In Scotland FE action continues on pay. The discussions with the Government on DOCAS have been unhelpful.

Questions and points: We discussed that industrial action remains a key tool in campaigns, and really helps with recruitment. It is important to learn lessons from these campaigns, and increase work on getting better results in ballots, with a focus on how to get higher turnouts and results. The union has the resources and ability to win ballots, but there has to be a determined and serious effort to focus on this issue.  This work needs to be overviewed by the NEC.

Industrial Action Committee

Mark Fisher reported as chair. It has been a busy year, with more members demanding to take industrial action and fight for a better wage. The increase in strike pay to £50 and on occasion in request up to £70 has helped.

Questions and points: We discussed the victory at Ash Field Academy, where some of the low paid workers won a 25% pay increase. We discussed how this campaign has a lot of the key lessons for a successful campaign on pay, and we should consider inviting a striker from the campaign to speak at National Delegate Conference.

Finance Update

Dan Sartin as chair of the Finance Committee introduced the Management Accounts for the first 10 months to October 2023 and presented the UNISON Budget for 2024. Some of the ‘invest to save’ initiatives of the union which had been developed in the last two years were discussed in response to an NEC member’s question. Both the management accounts and the budget were approved by the NEC. The Budget for 2024 was approved by 55 votes for, 0 against, and 1 abstention.