Last weekend the Labour's National Policy Forum
met at Warwick University to thrash out a series of policies that will form the
basis for Labour's manifesto for the general election widely expected to take
place next year.
UNISON, working with the other affiliated unions, took our key issues into the
weekend arguing for a radical set of policies that would address many of the
concerns of UNISON members.
I am delighted that the team I led at the weekend succeeded in securing a range
of commitments, that when implemented, will improve the lives of UNISON
members, particularly our women members and the lowest paid.
The package of commitments we secured was described by a number of commentators
as the most comprehensive and far reaching ever agreed between the trade unions
and the party of government. For UNISON the key ones include:
·
a commitment to extend the 2 tier workforce agreements covering local
government in England and Wales to the other parts of the public sector
·
changes to PFI including protecting the pay and conditions of existing
staff and any new starters; ending the requirement that staff providing
"soft services" must transfer; and reform of the system of PFI
credits in local government to remove the present incentive to use PFI.
·
addressing term time working issues in education
·
a review of NHS cleaning contracts in response UNISON's concerns
including on cleaning standards
·
a package of measures on skills, training and career development
·
a new Women at Work Commission looking at a range or issues including
how to take forward the equal pay agenda
The
union's task now is to ensure that these commitments are turned into agreements
and I, along with others, will be having talks including at ministerial level
over the coming months to make sure this is done.
A comprehensive list of the commitments follows:
Public
services and working in modern Britain: guide to commitments agreed at Labour's
National Policy Forum 25 July 2004
Public services
·
Extending two-tier workforce protection from Local Government to the
whole public service.
·
Consultation with key stakeholders to monitor progress of PFI, including
future financial implications.
·
Reform of local authority PFI credits to ensure there is equality of
funding between PFI and conventional procurement.
·
Confirmation that PFI does not require transfer of staff.
·
NHS choice and capacity - commitment that the vast bulk of NHS services
will remain directly provided.
·
Review of NHS cleaning contracts on test of cleanliness.
·
Action to tackle unethical labour agencies in health sector
·
Extend training for police staff in widening their roles.
·
Implementation of the mental health national service framework.
·
Develop a strategy with funding that will promote independent living for
elderly people wherever possible
·
Network Rail responsibility for the overseeing all engineering work and
national rail card.
·
New rules for Quality bus contracts - giving greater public
accountability.
·
Agreement to tackle the problem of unequal pay in local government
including gender segregation.
·
Public Services Forum will engage with unions on workforce development.
·
Commitment on no extension of school selection by ability
·
Commitment to address term time workers issue.
·
Range of measures to promote improved nutritional standards for school
meals, encourage healthy eating and extend training for catering staff.
·
Health staff - steps to develop staff such as health care assistants
with paid time off for training and consider extending registration.
Fairness
at work
·
Commitment to full employment
·
New 'compact' with contractors and unions to ensure employees have
access to trade unions, advice, basic training and skills.
·
New Women at work commission reporting in 12 months including on
mandatory equal pay audits and equality reps.
·
Recognition of the value of facility time for workplace union reps
·
Asking the low pay commission to examine differential pay rates for
18-21 year olds.
·
Bank holidays cannot be counted in four weeks statutory holiday.
·
Extending the right to request flexible working hours for parents and
carers.
·
Steps towards a national policy of occupational health and safety
·
UK government to support the EU Agency Workers Directive giving agency
and temporary workers equal rights with their directly employed colleagues.
·
A commitment to work in partnership with trade unions and help unions
grow
·
Radically improved enforcement and advice' guidance and support for
workers.
·
A strong skills training agenda with:
Rolling out Employer Training Pilots, supporting training up to NVQ2
Action in sectors under-performing on skills, including possibly training
levies
Target to treble the number of Union Learning Reps to 22,000
Removing barriers to TULRs, including through workplace committees Supporting
trade union academy
·
New measures on insolvency to ensure that management consult and do not
take precipative action such as removing plant.
·
Rights for migrant workers including endorsing new law to stop employers
holding passports of migrant workers.
·
Action to tackle workplace violence.
·
Uprating of redundancy pay
·
Protection from dismissal for strikers raised from 8 weeks to 12 weeks.
·
Keep the Agricultural Wages Board and consider extending its remit.
·
Support for pilot in union recruitment in small firms.
·
Assurance that Posting of Workers Directive will not lead to
under-cutting.
·
New sectoral forums bringing social partners together in low paid
sectors to address productivity, health and safety, pay , skills and pensions.
·
Working with unions and employers to develop a comprehensive, voluntary,
good employment standard.
·
Draft legislation on corporate manslaughter, with compensation for
victims this session with a commitment to legislation.
Pensions
·
TUPE protection to include pensions based on local government scheme.
·
Steps to make pension credit payment automatic and move beyond means
testing.
·
Moving to make pensions a bargaining issue for recognition proposes.
·
Measure on women and pensions - report back in 2005.
·
'Retrospective' compensation - seek matching funding from private
sector.
·
Training for pension trustees and move to 50% member trustees.
·
Agreement to engage in effective dialogue over future of public sector
pensions.
·
Legislation to move beyond the current voluntary occupational pensions
system.
·
Commitment to review business support and do what is necessary to boost
manufacturing.
·
Commitment to work for level playing field and ensure UK workers benefit
from procurement.
·
Ensure RDAs produce manufacturing strategies.
·
Bank of England to take note of regional and employment data and to
engage with all stakeholders including trade unions
Additional commitments
Agreements were reached on a wider range of issues that unions and
constituencies raised such as:
·
Domestic violence - further action to tackle domestic violence and
support those at risk
·
Agreement on steps to take forward the disability rights agenda
·
Commitments on debt relief, increasing aid budget and funds to tackle
HIV/AIDS.
·
Clear commitment to push through the Civil Partnership bill despite
Lords' opposition
·
Reviewing progress of the Race Relations Amendment Act and whether it
should apply to private and voluntary sectors