Community Conference report

Around 65 delegates attended the UNISON Community Conference and seminar in Glasgow over the 18th/19th March. Conference met in the aftermath of the pandemic and against a background of austerity, uncertainty and an escalating cost of living crisis.

Community is a very diverse Service Group. It is a huge potential growth area for UNISON. But unfortunately that potential may take a good while to realise. With a few notable exceptions such as the Northern Ireland  Community and Voluntary Branch and the big charities, Community members are largely scattered across Local Government and Health Branches.

That is reflected in the low numbers attending conference, but also in the low number of motions submitted by branches. Its also reflected in the many empty seats on the Community Service Group Executive. Community members are under represented in terms of activists, but also in terms of their visibility in the union.

There are plenty of reasons for Community members to look towards the union for support. Low wages, poor conditions and an uncertain future. These issues were reflected at conference in the debates that took place. But to be able affect real change we need to work very hard to develop the Community Service group into a campaigning organisation which moves from a focus on servicing the members to an organising union.

The union needs to prioritise resources to support rank and file community based activists in their attempts to organise and grow the union’s presence across the community sector. 

Rank and file activists who do not have the same luxuries as their counterparts in the public sector, release time for trade union duties being virtually non existent with hostile anti trade union employers creating an environment which denies equality for members whilst delivering extortionate salaries for the golden circle   

The Community Service group needs a grassroots campaign which rebalances the power in the favour of the activist 

We need more Union recognition agreements, more reps, better internal structures and a strong political arm. Community conference should be bursting at the seams, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to support our members. First time delegate Michelle Lincoln reports

“I attended the Community & Voluntary Sector meeting, and the Deepening Engagement workshop which was co-hosted by someone called Hassan. I went to the LGBT+ caucus also. I found all the sessions useful and interesting 

Personally I liked Kevin Stewarts contribution best during the seminar as it was the most interesting and something new”. 

Conference was marred by a walkout by a tiny handful of delegates, which went largely unnoticed.

Michelle continues:

“I spoke to thank Paul Holmes as our Chair of conference and was a last minute substitution (Paul will like the football analogy) as Teller after John Gray threw his toys out the pram.  

This was my first Community conference and I was heartened by the warm welcome from everyone. The only downside was the Cymru delegation (I did not see anyone other than them and John Gray leave) who walked out so their motions and any contribution to discussions were lost.   

If I was a Welsh member I'd be very upset and annoyed that my delegation did not represent me at conference.  I believe anyone should be able to protest if they do not like something however dereliction of duty is not the way to do it.” 

Given the serious issues facing UNISON members in Community it is likely that many active members would share Michelle’s opinion. The Service Group Executive Elections will give Community members an opportunity to support Time for Real Change supporters standing for election for several Community SGE seats.

Its Time to Get Organised and Fight for Real Change!