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.