Report and Decisions from National Local Government Conference
2003
 "A
View from the Back of the Hall" or "Through the Bottom
of a Medicine Bottle"
By Stephanie Herd and Angela Lynes (pictured and who had tonsillitis)
additional material by John Stevenson.
Recognition of Devolved Matters in Local Government Conference
Agenda
Scottish region representatives met with the Standing Orders Committee
(SOC) on Sunday evening to discuss the recognition of devolved matters
in relation to the agenda for local government conference.
Regional representatives were attempting to get the SOC to recognise
that the current format of the agenda was unhelpful and would, if
it continues, increase disaffection with Scottish delegates as much
of the business was not directly relevant.
We requested that the SOC would, when prioritising motions, consider
their content in relation to strategic issues, relevant UK wide
issues and issues specific to separate bargaining mechanisms. Such
definition could then allow motions to be blocked together - this
may in practical terms allow delegates to opt in or out of debates.
We wanted the SOC to acknowledge and recognise our separate arrangements
and many delegates were unwilling to participate in debates or votes
that did not affect them.
Unfortunately, the SOC response wasn't terribly helpful - their
advice was that this wasn't an issue specific to local government,
but that the matter could be referred to the Service Group Executive
for them to progress.
The Scottish Representative on the Standing Orders Committee reminded
them of Motion 39 carried last year. We asked that the SOC linked
up with the Working Group established consider the impact of devolution.
The SOC advised that the Scottish Region should submit motion to
rule change to next year's Conference.
We are concerned that this may only serve to formalise artificial
divisions within this Union.
Motion 2 - Lessons from the 2002/03 Pay Dispute
Scottish delegates reminded Conference that in fact the first national
dispute took place some three years ago in Scotland and that similar
lessons had been learned - perhaps our counterparts should have
read our report published in 2000/01. However, the report may be
useful as Scotland starts its consultation with local government
branches in preparation to construct and submit the Scottish Pay
Claim for 2004 and beyond!
Unions unite - Prentis
All of the public service unions will be working together in the
forthcoming year to campaign for decent pay; be they fire, health,
local government or teaching."
That was the key message in general secretary, Dave Prentis', address
to this year's local government conference.
He told delegates that good wages and adequate funding were the
cornerstone of our public sector. He pledged that UNISON would be
working closely with our sister unions to get more funding cash
from government.
Prentis pointed out that "there is a growing confidence in
our union" and that "when we threaten action, we must
deliver".
He further demanded that the government review the practice of term-time
working and properly back up Blair's "education, education,
education" pledge with adequate resources and funding.
Motions 43, Raising Standards and Tackling Workloads; 44, Teaching
Assistants; 48, The role of School Support Staff
It's disconcerting that the contentious issues related mainly to
consultation with branches about the Agreement "Raising Standards
- Tackling Workloads" referring to the role of Teaching Assistants.
Motion 28, Modernisation of Public Services
This was carried - Scotland welcomed support from our members in
fire services who know full well the consequences of the modernisation
agenda.
The motion asked for:
- increases in funding for local services
- massive investment in workforce training
- an end to the low pay culture in public services
Motion 30 attacked the government's obsession with league
tables and called for proper funding of councils.
The motion called for a "comprehensive" report on standards among
privatised contracts to be delivered to next year's local government
conference.
Motion 33, End Ring Fencing of Local Government Finance Branch
Again the motion was carried.
Motion 60, Pay and Status of Social Workers Amendments 60.01
and 60.02
Scottish Region and Glasgow City Branch amendments to the main
motion served to strengthen and extend the content. Recruitment
and retention can only be tackled through better pay and efforts
to combat the negative public perception. Involve branches in campaign
to improve the pay and status of all social work staff.
Pensions
The first (motion 18) reaffirmed UNISON's call that all workers providing
local government services should have a decent pension through the
local government pension scheme (LGPS).
It also asked for an adequate state pension that did not penalise
low-paid workers through means testing.
It was also agreed that there should be trade union representation
on LGPS trusteeship bodies. Oxford City branch said local government
workers don't supervise their own pension schemes and they needed
a proper vote.
Concern was also expressed over government plans for simplification
of the scheme. The proposals are an attempt to reduce costs for the
employers at the expense of the employees.
14 Funding fair pay in local government
Motion 14, Funding fair pay in local government, was carried, supporting
a call to lobby government to adequately fund the application of
the NJC job evaluation scheme.
Conference resolved also to lobby government to ring fence money
to drive up equality standards in local authorities and asked for
all employers to carry out independent pay audits and address any
pay inequalities found. Regions should also have their training
needs assessed, to ensure officers and activists are able to deal
effectively with equal pay issues.
Amendments distinguishing between English, Welsh and Scottish situations
were also carried.
42 Timing of Conference
UNISON's local government members voted to change the timing of
their service group's annual conference, which could now leave its
traditional slot alongside the union's National Delegates Conference.
Cymru/Wales proposed motion 42, which stated that a November conference
would be better timed to send clear messages to the Chancellor at
the time of the annual autumn statement. The motion was carried,
as amended by amendment 42.02, which recognised the childcare and
caring difficulties faced by delegates attending two adjacent conferences.
Amendment 42.01 was withdrawn. Delegates also reaffirmed their commitment
to a local government conference based upon the principle of prioritised
motions, which allows time for a maximum of two external speakers
and presentations of UNISON campaigns.
Motion 41, which was proposed by the SGE, was carried as
amended by amendment 41.01. The amendment, which resulted in a card
vote, expressed disappointment at the SGE for not producing a report
on the conduct of local government conference in the light of new
collective bargaining agreements, as instructed by last year's conference.
37/38/40 Race integral to bargaining
Promote race issues as an integral part of the bargaining agenda
in the sector.
Motion 37 called for local government branches to work with
employers to promote the implementation of the Act and to consult
black members in the union on the improvement of race equality in
the workplace.
Motion 40: Although strategies for inclusion are in place
- such as child-care and reserved seats for low-paid women - she
said that men still made up a disproportionate number of stewards
in the union and this needed to be addressed.
Delegates also voted in favour of motion 38 calling for branches
to seek discussion with councils on the implementation of Equality
in Employment Regulations, as required by the EU's employment directive.
The new laws, which will outlaw workplace discrimination on the
grounds of sexual orientation and religion or belief, will be applicable
from December 2003.
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