Lilian Macer and Stephen Smellie were elected
at the Scottish Council as Scotland's delegates to Conference.
Delegates should use them as a source of
information and they fulfil a key organisational role.
They can help you liaise with other branches
and regions throughout the week. They will know how debates
are being organised, who to speak to and, more importantly,
how to get to speak.
They will advise on Scottish policy and
will speak for the Region in debates.
Here, they preview the main debates at National Delegate
Conference
Branches, regions, self organised groups,
retired and young members and the National Executive Council,
have submitted 111 motions, 18 Amendments to Rule and
associated amendments to the conference agenda.
The experience of recent years is that conference
will manage to discuss between 30/35 or so of these motions,
many of which will find themselves in composites agreed
by the bodies submitting the original motions.
Therefore if your favourite is not discussed
below, it is unlikely to be debated first time around
and the only alternative will be in the re-prioritisation
exercise. This will take place on Wednesday evening/Thursday
morning, for Friday afternoon business.
The Standing Orders Committee (SOC) has
balloted regions, the NEC, self organised groups, National
Young Members' Forum and the National Retired Members'
Committee on what motions should be prioritised for debate
at the National Delegate Conference.
The Scottish Council meeting in April agreed
Scotland's priorities. Below those motions likely to be
prioritised are listed with some comments on the issues.
Recruiting And Organising - Motion 1, 2,6 and 8
These will focus on the union’s organising strategy
ensuring it is fit to cope with the onslaught of savage
cuts on our current and future members.
Recognising, despite the challenges we face with jobs
under threat as a consequence to the savage cuts to
public services, that we maintain our commitment to
our organising strategy.
Motion 1 is the flagship motion from the NEC on organising.
It is supported by an amendment 1.2 from Lanarkshire
Health Branch.
Motion 8 focuses on the role of women within the leadership
of the union and taking an active role within UNISON.
Negotiating and Bargaining - Motions 10,12,16,18 and
19.
We may well see a composite on Pay emerge from this
section. Motion 10 from the Northern Region is supported
by an amendment 10.1 from Scotland highlighting the
success of our living wage campaign. Also within this
section are motions on Health and Safety and motion
12 from the City of Glasgow Branch highlights the importance
of health and safety as a campaigning and recruitment
tool. The motion also highlights this government’s
savage cuts in health and safety legislation and enforcement
which places ordinary working people at risk.
Privatisation - Motion 21, 22 and 25.
It is likely a composite will emerge from these. Motion
21 from the NEC recognises the campaign work undertaken
by Scotland to bring back in-house hospital cleaning
services. The motion recognises the value of public
service as the best vehicle for service provision to
the public purse.
Public Service - Motions 27,28,29 and 33.
Motion 27 is the National Executive Council's flagship
motion on Public Services which highlights the inequalities
that have materialised as a consequence of the government’s
cuts agenda.
The motion notes the current threat to the quality
and the ethos of public services across the UK is greater
than any other time since the formulation of the welfare
state in the 1940s.
The motion calls on the union to work with local communities
and other trade unions to campaign for fairer services
based on sustainable quality services.
Motions 28 and 29 may form a composite. These motions
call for a national care service which is something
in Scotland we have resisted.
Motion 33 will call for affordable, safe, adequate,
secure housing for all. The motion calls for a mass
housing investment programme to counter the fact that
more UNISON members live in the private rented sector
than in social housing.
Health - Motions 34 and 35
With potential for a composite, this debate will focus
on NHS England. UNISON remains fundamentally opposed
to the government's plans to bring about a massive top-down
structural reorganisation of the NHS in England that
favours markets and competition over integration and
cooperation.
Government plans have now become a reality which will
see a further move towards wholesale competition.
This will undermine attempts to provide more integrated
care both within the NHS and between health and social
care within the English health system.
Campaigns - Motions 39 and 41
These are on the cuts and the impact on the lowest
paid. Motion 41 Pay and Pride from the National LGBT
Committee highlights the need to build a highly visible
equality community presence in UNISON-backed anti-austerity
and anti-far right activity.
Economy - Motions 43,44,49,50,52,53,54,55
It is likely these or some of these motions will be
composited.
Motion 43 from the NEC tells the coalition government
"we told you so" although we find no joy in
being proven right, especially as our members continue
to suffer as a consequence of these failed policies.
Amendment 43.2 from Lanarkshire Health highlights the
need for minimum staffing and appropriate skill mix
for all areas of the public services.
Motion 52 from Scotland highlights the need for full
employment to be a key aim of the government's economic
policy.
Motion 50 from Aberdeenshire highlights growing inequality,
child poverty and the fact that austerity is not working.
It calls on the union step up its campaign and and
to get the key messages out to members and the public.
Motion 55 from the NEC calls for a campaign for fair
and progressive taxation and amendment 55.2 from Scotland
highlights the debate over Scotland's future and the
work undertaken by UNISON Scotland around our campaign
for a 'Fairer Scotland'.
Employment Rights - Motions 60, 62 and 63
Motion 60 highlights the many challenges as a trade
union we face with the continued attacks on our activists’
facility time. Motion 63 focuses on the difficulties
for women in the movement but captures the concerns
all UNISON activists face to deliver representation
and organise members.
International - Motions 68, 69 and 79
Motion 68 from the LGBT Committee raises concerns about
"aid conditionality" which could have severe
consequences on LGBT people in aid-recipient countries.
Motion 69 highlights the need for UNISON to work with
and continue its support for the courageous trade union
activists in Colombia.
Motion 79 from Wolverhampton General recognises the
positive role UNISON played in promoting justice for
the Palestinians within the trade union movement and
wider society.
The motion further calls for the NEC to produce guidance
for branches on campaigning to stop public sector contracts
being awarded to companies which also operate contracts
inside the occupied territories that are in breach of
the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Racism - Motion 83
The National Black Members Committee calls on conference
to support ‘Kick it Out’ programmes and
initiatives that fall in line with UNISON’s aims
and objectives on challenging racism in the workplace.
Civil Rights - Motion 85
The National Disabled Members Committee recognises
crimes against disabled people which are motivated as
a consequence of their disability will be classed as
a disability hate crime.
The amendment 85.1 from Strathclyde Police and Fire
recognises the Scottish legislation to support the actions
called for in the motion.
Constitutional Reform - Motion 87
Northern Ireland Region recognises the 15th anniversary
of the Good Friday Agreement.
The motion also pays tribute to the work of the late
Inez McCormack, former Regional Secretary, for her unceasing
and inspiring commitment to equality and human rights
for UNISON members their families and communities.
Social Policy - Motions 88, 90, 91, 92 and 94
The Scottish motion on Defending the Welfare State
(89) may well see itself on the conference agenda as
a composite with motion 88 from the NEC and an amendment
89.1 from Lanarkshire Health Branch.
These represent the anger of members at the attacks
on the poorest people in society and will be a highlight
of conference.
Amendments to Rule
Branch delegates should consider each proposed amendment
carefully and consider the purpose of the proposed amendment
in relation to the union as a whole and our objectives.
The NEC motion on the review of branch resources was
ruled out of order by the SOC.
Amendments to rule 14 and 15 reflect the proposals
that have been discussed across the unions and in consultation
meetings with branch representatives over the past year.
These would require branches to use the online branch
accounting system (OLBA), develop branch budgeting as
part of the joint branch assessment and bank with Unity
Trust Bank for their main account.
A more detailed briefing on the amendments will be
provided to delegates ahead of the Thursday afternoon
session.
