Report from Policy Development and Campaign Committee meeting 19/1/22

 1.             Update from devolved nations 

a)    The Northern Ireland NI Assembly is a forced coalition, which requires a cross community vote to pass anything. Parties like the DUP can block, which they do regularly, and this power has been abused at times. This is causing lots of problems for Unison members. The Barnett formula sets the block grant. Key powers devolved to the NI Assembly are health and social care, education, public finances, housing etc, But not financial powers. British government does not act as an honest broker. Unison does not affiliate to any political party.

In the recent review of Unison’s devolution protocol. NI believe that UNISON has given the weight it should to devolved nations. Unison also affiliates to Irish Congress of Trade Unions (the only TUC which crosses more than one country). With 45,000 members, UNISON is the largest union in NI.

The NI Assembly was suspended for over 3 years. The Health and Care dispute was a major factor in bringing them back. The response to Covid is disjointed. Austerity continues. Threats to peace process comes from Uk government’s, proposed amnesty for all crimes that occurred during the troubles and changes to the Human Rights Act., which is particularly important in NI although all it is a UK act. Implications of the UK Government’s proposals represent a real threat to peace process and are not supported by any political party, nor from victims and survivors.

These proposals renege on previous commitments, it represents a most extreme amnesty (even more so than in Chile’s) It seeks to end prosecutions, civil actions and inquests (which have helped to establish facts) and will obscure the UK’s role in the NI conflict in respect of collusion with paramilitaries and where they caused deaths which have never been properly investigated.

Unison represents both communities and growing number migrant workers. This means that inclusivity is important.

UNISON’s key campaigns are:

·       Free school meals for all. This is a response to growing poverty.

·       Pandemic support for members. Deaths from Covid exceeded deaths from the NI conflict.

·       Public spending has not been restored to pre austerity levels. Health and care spending increases have been taken from other services.

·       Opposing privatisation. Waiting times for treatment are the longest in UK. Nurses often work for private agencies. Staffing crisis is severe. Safe staffing was key part of industrial action.

·       Social care pay: We are campaigning for real living wage.

·       Health pay campaigning 1 team 2K. This involved protests at Stormont.

·       NJC pay ballot is currently live (NO 50% thresholds required, as that law does not apply in NI)

Human rights even more under threat which breaches the Good Friday Agreement. Unison want a strong bill of rights for NI which was included in the agreement but never implemented. Political consensus was substituted, but there will never be consensus and both Labour and Tory Governments have ignored this. A Bill of Rights would have stopped lots of terrible things.

NI want Unison to trust NI. Partnership - officers and lay members work together.  Smaller devolved nations struggle financially in Unison.

The Brexit Protocol mitigates consequences by keeping an open border with the Republic of Ireland which if closed would have disastrous consequences. 

Danger lies in the consequences in the impact on rights as we diverge from EU rights. NI rights are devolved. But should the UK Government seek to repeal the Human Rights Act, which is a massive part of peace process, this will represent a huge threat.

b)    In Scotland 95% members work in devolved services so are more directly linked to the Scottish government. So a lot of what happens in Scotland is specific to Scotland. The review of the Devolved Protocol has been delayed due to Covid, and we need to restart the process.

Scotland will be submitting motions to National; Delegate Conference, one of which to look at devolution. Also, a Bargaining and political agenda strategy plan which is achievable, focussed on recruitment and retention of membership.

There is a great opportunity to increase our membership base and grow a bigger layer of activists. The Scottish Government has developed new processes for bargaining and we have a clear place in that.  This includes workforce planning etc. We have close links with government ministers. They are about to create a national care service even though there is a huge market footprint. But we can get national terms and conditions. The Fair work agenda is looking at low pay, Just Transition and the equalities agenda. The Branch Resource review will help to fund this in branches across Scotland. National materials do not really suit the Scottish region of Unison.

One ask is affiliation to Scottish TUC. In STUC Unison lead on budget process and it needs to be fully resourced. Our members have carried us through a pandemic and its about time we were rewarded. The response to Covid in Care Homes has been criminal.

c)    Wales has a Labour majority Government coalition. Our Regional Secretary is president of the Welsh TUC. We play an important part in  influencing the Government and have good access to Cabinet ministers. The Welsh Senedd was set up 1989. The Shadow social partnership says Trade Unions are a key stakeholder. In the Workforce Partnership Council for example the only way you can bring in new technology is using agreed principles which help job security, and respects workers rights. 

2        Motions for National Delegate Conference

The meeting had some very long debates on this to try and get things right. Amendments made will come out to committee members to check.

The Motions discussed were:

1. Learning from Covid

2. Cost of Living Crisis

(There was some debate about adding call for minimum wage to be £15 per hour. Some felt this is needed if we are seriously to challenge the poverty of the lowest paid workers. Others on the PDCC opposed this, arguing those on slightly higher wages would be annoyed if the lowest wage was £15.  It’s a sad and worrying reflection that at a point when members have lost so much real pay over the last 14 years, and cannot afford to both eat and heat, that some more conservative NEC members think £15 is too high. Fortunately, Time For Real Change supporters have a majority and voted it through, 11:8, to include campaigning for a £15 per hour minimum wage.)

3. Worker and trade rights

4. Resisting the Tories attack on our fundamental rights and their anti-democratic agenda

5. Migrant workers on the COVID-19 frontline

6. Post Glasgow Cop26 

7. Campaigning for national care service

8. Genuinely affordable housing

3.       Report back from Cop 26   

The Committee received a report back from Cop 26. The report is good with good suggestions for moving forward

There was some debate about who leads on Just Transition. Some other trade unions say they represent people in those industries and so should leave to them. It’s not just about the fuel industry and involves changes in the whole economy and we are all entitled to a seat at the table, not just the Gas and Electricity industry. Green jobs affects all of us.

We can make a real difference in our workplaces. There is a need to develop service groups specific bargaining and negotiating strategies to decarbonise our own employers.

4.       Learning the lessons from Covid

We agreed a more coordinated  national campaign on learning the lessons from Covid.

There was a debate over the inclusion of opposition to mandatory vaccinations as this is destroying NHS care and possibly the NHS. One suggestion is a letter to MPs for people to sign; starting with clear support for vaccination but defending people’s right to working in the NHS even if not they are not fully vaccinated. Service Group Liaison discussing this.

5.       TUC equality conferences

The Committee was asked to endorse UNISON’s delegation, Committee nomination, and motion for submission to the TUC Black Workers Conference and to the TUC LGBT+ Conference, plus nominations to TUC Young Workers Forum and a motion for TUC Young Workers Conference (Paper attached). The Committee agreed a future process for nominations and motions to TUC equalities committees

6.       The year of disabled workers

We have significant plans for the year of the Disabled Workers 2022 and have built up many resources to help negotiate real changes during this year, strengthening for example the right to reasonable adjustment. Additional training for members is being run. Lots of information is coming through. Agreed action: To set up a sub group with the PDCC Chair, Vice Chair and Angela to plan further PDCC support for the year. 

7.       Consultation submissions have submitted since last meeting on

·       Windrush Lessons Learned Review Progress Update: Call for Evidence  UNISON submission

·       DCMS Consultation - Data: a new direction UNISON Response

·       BEIS consultation on making flexible working the default

8.       Minutes of the last meeting agreed

Matters arising

a)       Unison supporting the United Nations Day of Action on March 19th and information due out soon.

b)      Covid: Setting up a campaign around getting justice for those affected, how to support those affected, how to hold those responsible to account. Inquiry chair now appointed. Terms of reference discussion expected in 6 weeks. 

c)       Health and Care Bill requires shared ownership between this Committee and the Health Service Exec. The Committee agreed that this also involves the Local Government and Community Service groups as well as PDCC and Health. One of the PDCC members had produced an assessment of how much the Health and Care Bill met Unison’s criteria for whether we support Bill. It clearly suggests the bill barely meets any of the 11 criteria and calls into question why we are supporting it. Agreed that a paper should go to the Service Group Liaison Committee next week with a recommendation to review.  

9.      Any other business

The new SOS NHS campaign group has been set up and Unison is backing it, we should endorse that and their day of action next Saturday 29th Jan calling for £20billion to undo 12 years of austerity. Karen proposed that we support. Agreed Unison is supporting SOS NHS and Sara Gorton was due to speak at launch meeting.

10.      Next meeting 12th April

Karen Reissmann
North West Representative UNISON NEC