NEC Report, meeting held on 12 April 2023
1) Best wishes were sent to Mark Fisher, Kevin Jackson, John Jones – all of whom were unwell or recovering from hospital treatment. Obituaries: a minute’s silence was observed for Tommy Williams, Scotland; Paul Fisher, LGBT+ rep; Phil Harland, H+S Central Lancs.
2) Matters arising
The chair of the Staffing Committee raised an inaccuracy in the previous edition of U-magazine that had announced it was the last issue of U-magazine ever to be produced due to a decision by the NEC. The Finance Committee (FRMC) which had ratified the 2023 budget had made reduced provision for one issue of U-magazine in 2023 due to budget constraints, but no decisions had been made for 2024 and beyond. The minutes of FRMC reflect this, as do the minutes of the NEC in December, neither of which were challenged as inaccurate. The Director of Finance confirmed that we have not closed the door on producing further editions.
Due to his view of the published inaccuracy in U-magazine, the chair of Staffing Committee asked for a suitable correction to go out to members. Unison officers reported they had terminated our contract with printer, paper suppler and post office, as no further editions were planned in their view. The chair of the Finance Committee affirmed that no decision had been taken to cease U-magazine, and the FRMC had approved the business case for the £4 million digital project at its November meeting on the basis of U-magazine reducing in frequency from 4 to 2 issues; this was a written business case. A member of the FRMC disputed this and asserted her recollection that U-magazine had been stopped.
The President asked that the matter to go back to the Finance Committee and Policy & Campaigns Committees and be reported back to next NEC.
3) General Secretary report
a) Praise was given to the nine health branches who took strike action: we had brilliant publicity and got an offer out to consultation.
b) Unison as an affiliate to the Labour Party: we are now laying the ground for the next general election. Last date possible for it is January 2025. Lots of work is underway to influence the manifesto, and ensure members are registered to vote. Last election: one case of voter fraud has led to legislation which could make up to 2 million voters disqualified from voting in future elections (e.g. older people can use travel cards, young people cannot, as they are unlikely to vote Tory!)
c) Year of Black Worker, arrangements will be made to contact all committees
d) Turkey – trade unionist released from prison to house arrest. Christina was in USA at time visiting other public sector unions. How they work and campaign with Biden administration and fight for social care.
Questions asked:
a) Problems with resources when we are balloting more than one section of the union were raised, as we do need to be able to fight more than one fight at a time.
b) Concerns raised about Christina giving an interview to GB News given their stand on racism in particular. Response – Gloria De Piero is an ex-Labour MP, sympathetic to unions, so agreed to an interview with her.
c) Need to look at changes in Labour Party policies which depart from Unison’s policy. Response – not what we see. We have reps on Labour Party NEC and do submit policy responses. We are fighting for our policies. Labour is talking of the biggest insourcing in a generation. If Jeremy Corbyn stands for MP then anyone who supports him will be expelled from Labour. We do not interfere in any disciplinary process, our rep present abstained on key decision.
d) Thanks given to Unison for International Women’s Day event in Scotland.
e) TUC decision re NEU – Response from Christina – it has not gone to TUC general council yet but Unison won on 3 counts and we have been awarded £85,000. NEU will have to put out material to say they do not have a place on NJC for school support staff.
f) NHS dispute won an improved offer not just by the 9 striking Unison branches to whom we all extend our absolute thanks, but by 176 RCN branches and the many Unite, GMB, CSP, SOR and now BMA junior doctors. Given both years of the offer are below inflation, it is unlikely to help with any of the problems of recruitment and retention which make NHS work so exhausting and is driving people away. Asked to send messages of support to both North of Ireland health workers still in dispute, and to BMA which were both agreed. Response – we tried to work closely with other unions. Despite problems where RCN criticised us for offering solidarity with them. We will oppose the RCN plan for nurses’ breakaway pay spine. No-one ever gets what you want, members will decide on offer.
g) There is a plan for Stephen Lawrence 30th anniversary.
4) National Delegate Conference decisions
a) Motions. All motions supported except:
M85, Support if amended; the NEC agreed an amendment following a debate about whether we should mandate advertising legal support in all marketing of the union as it builds a false picture when so many members’ cases are not supported. There is a review of Thompsons’ contract currently being undertaken)
defer motion 45 (awaiting amendments)
oppose Motion 7 (it is trying to remove the ability to speak outside of Unison capacity in a personal capacity, members do have the right to campaign in the union; any racist, fascist views would be dealt with by other rules)
support only if amended (oppose if not) motion 35
seek withdrawal Motions 86 and 87; both seek a review of out of pocket expenses which has been completed (and overnight subsistence expenses have been raised by last NEC meeting). One seeks lobbying of HMRC which has also already been done.
leave to conference Motion 43 on unionised worker coops.
b) NEC Amendments agreed on:
Motion 11 death repatriation clarifies extent of research
Motion 31 crisis in social care
Motion 35 campaigning for better procurement
Motion 39 housing policy
Motion 45 integrated care systems
Motion 53 ethnicity pay gap
Motion 63 constitution of UK
Motion 68 time limits for employment
Motion 74 migrant workers
Motion 85 legal services
Motion 88 amended to add third action point to work with There for You.
c) Rule amendments:
supported 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
opposed 6
defer 3 (to discuss with Police & Justice SGE), 4 (to ask branch as NEC have similar motion)
d) Annual report was agreed.
e) Motion and Rule amendment priorities; the NEC agreed these, proposing 11 of the 12 NEC motions and one equality motion from a SOG.
f) Agreed to award Unison honorary membership to Doreen and Neville Lawrence and invite them to speak at conference. Other speakers will be Rosa Pavinelli Gen Sec PSI, a speaker from Covid Families campaign, and Rosena Allin-Khan, shadow mental health minister and frontline GP.
5) Organising update
Members joining in the year to date were 60,000 (up by 57%).
Leavers though in the year to date were 67,000 (up by 28%) so retention still priority issue. Biggest net loss has been in Health. Overall, we have a 0.5% decline in membership in the year so far.
Members joining the union have been overtaken by members leaving for 12 out of the previous 16 years (2007-2022). In 2021, UNISON’s membership declined by approximately 30,000 members. There has also been a decline in members being active across all our activist roles; an 18.9% decrease in ERA accredited activists from 2016-2021. The scale of the task facing the union was clear and urgent.
6) Pay campaigns
NJC strike ballot starts on 23rd May; 720 employers only have 1 member. 4,600 employers in total in a disaggregated ballot.
Orchard day nursery strike had won recognition with 100% membership, then all staff dismissed, and company wound up even though profitable. The NEC agreed a wider appeal for financial support.
Northern Ireland health strikers did request increased strike pay which was agreed for their recent strike due to their exceptional circumstances. Chair of Industrial Action Committee reported this was set at £70 a day.
Industrial action handbook and toolkit needs to be updated but little progression due to pressures on balloting team. But this does need to be done.
7) Disciplinary report
Accepted.
There was a question about how good the training to be on panels is.
8) Staffing report
Noted.
Discussion included reference by the Chair of Staffing that Unison does race equality monitoring and we are looking to improve this; and discussions also taking place on how to better support branches who employ staff where Unison nationally is not the employer.
9) Next meeting
Thursday 18th May